Yes, The Sun Can Burn Your House Down: What To Know About Sun-Caused House Fires

Your home burning down from the sun sounds like some sort of strange vampire fever dream, but it can really happen. Though it isn't particularly common, thank goodness, the sun has been known to burn down a few houses. Typically, sun-caused house fires start because of refracted light. Did you ever experiment with the sun and a magnifying glass as a kid? Well, it's virtually the same concept here. 

Sunlight comes through your window and is magnified through an object like a glass doorknob, or even a makeup mirror. That light is being refracted through the glass, which means that it's bending the lightwaves and focusing them. If the glass happens to focus a strong enough beam of light onto a material that is easily combustible or flammable, such as lightweight paper, then boom: you could have a house fire on your hands. 

Sounds scary, right? But don't feel you need to reconsider your mirror decor ideas just yet. These fires are uncommon enough not to cause major concern and can be avoided with some simple tips like checking your smoke alarms, purchasing a fire extinguisher, and keeping glass objects away from windows.

Avoiding house fires started by the sun probably isn't on your how to prepare your home for emergencies list, but it should be. Though uncommon, sun-caused house fires can happen at any time of year but luckily, they are an easy thing to avoid and prepare for.

First, you don't need to totally alter your home decor and design to avoid these types of fires, but it would be a good idea to keep them in mind as you choose your placement for glass objects. Mirrors and any other glass items should never be kept on a windowsill. It's best to be intentional with your positioning of glass items and to keep them away from direct sunlight. 

Next, make sure you're prepared to handle a fire should it happen. Purchase the best fire extinguisher for your home, keep it easily accessible, and know how to use it. Most importantly, you'll also want to ensure that you have working smoke alarms to alert you if a fire does start. If you follow these tips, you can rest assured that you've done your best to prevent these rare (but possible) fires caused by sunlight. And remember, most house fires are caused by electrical issues, faulty heating equipment, smoking, and, the number-one cause: cooking mishaps.