A family is left devastated when sun rays shone through a Nutella jar of loom bands, causing a fire in their home, killing their pet dog.
LFB warn people not to put glass on their windowsills
Declan Murphy was out, joined by his wife Lindsay and their two children in a celebration of their anniversary when the blaze began.
They had left the jar on the windowsill in their daughter's room in south London when the fire began. Fire-fighters are of the opinion that the low winter sunlight was refracted by the Nutella jar and the rays were magnified and beamed onto the blinds hanging close by, causing them to catch fire.
The family dog, Jack Russell Chili was inside at the time of the fire and died from smoke inhalation.
Mr Murphy informed Great West London that they were heartbroken about losing their dog, adding: "We've been told it will be up to a year before the house is ready for us to move back into."
The electrical supervisor, 41, added: "I want to ensure other people are aware of the dangers and know to keep glass items away from windows and out of direct sunlight so they don't have to go through anything like this."
Charlie Pugsley, of the London Fire Brigade (LFB), said: "It sounds far-fetched that a jar containing a few rubber bands caused a severe house fire but that's exactly what happened.
"It's worth spending five minutes checking that your window ledges are clear of any glass or crystal that might lead to a potentially life changing blaze."
The London Fire Brigade revealed that sun rays have been responsible for 125 fires in the last five years and are as much of a risk in summer as they are in winter.
Source: The Independent