Throughout the warmer months, firefighters are quick to share a warning about leaving water bottles in cars. While it seems like a harmless habit, it can lead to a potentially dangerous situation. It’s why so many fire officials are raising awareness of it all.
What Happens?
If you’re familiar with physics, sunlight will pass through the plastic bottle, which is filled with water. This acts as a magnifying glass. The light becomes focused on a single point. If the point is flammable, such as a fabric car seat, it’s enough to start a fire.
Across the globe, there have been documented incidents where vehicles have caught fire because of the phenomenon of leaving a water bottle in a hot car. A firefighter from Idaho even left a bottle in his car. When he returned to the car, he noticed smoke. Then, he found the seat was smoldering. It’s all because of the focused light. Luckily, he was able to get it extinguished quickly before there was any further damage.
How You Can Prevent Fires
Fire safety officials have provided a few safety measures that you can follow:
- Don’t leave plastic water bottles in the car.
- If you do have to leave one inside, find a shaded area, even if it’s under a seat.
- Use insulated or opaque bottles to avoid allowing light to pass through.
You’re likely to hear more about this in the near future. Public awareness campaigns have been launched by fire departments across the US, using community bulletins, news outlets and social media to educate the masses.