Support for LAist comes from
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Stay Connected
Audience-funded nonprofit news
Listen

Share This

This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.

This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

News

Mirrored Headboard Ignites Fire By Reflecting Sunlight Like Magnifying Glass

With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today . 


Some well-intentioned spring cleaning went very wrong in Fresno when a mirrored headboard sparked a fire that destroyed a family's carport and the car inside.The Fresno Bee reports that firefighters were called to a house shortly after 4 p.m. on Sunday and found a carport and vehicle in flames. The fire was contained by 4:30 p.m. thanks to the work of 25 firemen, but not before causing nearly $15,000 in damages, according to the Fresno Fire Department's Hector Vasquez.

According to the L.A. Times, the headboard had been resting outside by the carport as the family was doing some spring cleaning. Vasquez said the headboard "acted like a magnifying glass" and that it was "the only thing that makes any logical sense."

The scenario sounds kind of like this scene from Toy Story, but with a mirrored headboard instead of a bully, and with a carport instead of a doll:

Support for LAist comes from

Vasquez said that the firefighters figured it out when they were blinded by the sun's reflection on the headboard, and felt heat emanating from the mirror.

Make sure to keep safety first when spring cleaning this year.

At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.

But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.

We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.

Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.

Chip in now to fund your local journalism
A row of graphics payment types: Visa, MasterCard, Apple Pay and PayPal, and  below a lock with Secure Payment text to the right
(
LAist
)

Trending on LAist