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The arrival of summer means beach vacations, cookouts, and the well-known heat that makes us buy more water bottles.
Firefighters caution drivers about the unexpected and possibly hazardous risk of igniting fires when they leave these water bottles in their cars.
One may not think that an apparently innocuous plastic bottle filled with water might start a car fire.
However, a recent event has raised questions. Idaho Power Company battery technician Dioni Amuchastegui told the public about his startling incident.
He saw smoke coming from under his truck’s center console when he was taking a lunch break. A bottle of water was the reason.
“I looked over and noticed light was being refracted through a water bottle and starting to catch the seat on fire,” Dioni remembers in a video he uploaded to Facebook.
As a clear warning of the unforeseen risks of leaving a bottle of water in a vehicle, especially on hot, sunny days, the aftermath of this occurrence left two noticeable burn scars on the seat of his truck.
Firefighters are already expressing worries and advising drivers to exercise caution, indicating that this incidence is not unique.
Despite being simple science, the phenomena is often disregarded. When sunlight is directed through a water-filled bottle, it may behave similarly to the beam of light created by a magnifying glass on a bright day.
Intense heat may be produced by this amplified sunlight, and in some situations, it can even cause a fire.
The Midwest City Fire Department in Oklahoma conducted an eye-opening test to highlight this concern.
They found that temperatures as high as 250 degrees may be reached by magnifying sunlight using a water bottle.
According to David Richardson of MCFD, “When it’s filled with liquid, the sunlight will come through and act as a magnifying glass as you would with regular optics.”
It creates a concentrated beam using the liquid and the transparent substance, and it may, in fact, start a fire.
Though the likelihood of such an event happening may be slim, it’s important to remember that the repercussions might be disastrous if it did.
This is one instance of how we often undervalue the possible risks inherent in our daily activities.
When paired with concentrated, amplified sunlight, an automobile, with its contained area and potentially flammable components, becomes a potential hotspot for such threats.
These cautions are particularly important as summer draws near and temperatures rise. Officials have correctly noted that even though there may not be much danger, the possible repercussions much exceed the little work needed to take preventative action.
A possible threat may be avoided by simply taking water bottles out of cars or making sure they aren’t in direct sunlight.
The first line of defense against many threats is knowledge. Even though we use our vehicles to store anything from gym equipment to shopping bags, it’s important to keep in mind the specific atmosphere they create, particularly in hot weather.
In conclusion, take a minute to inspect your car as you get ready for a day out or even a short trip to the shop.
Take that water bottle off of you and protect yourself. Additionally, see the following movie for first-hand stories and a deeper look into this phenomena. This summer should be spent having fun, unwinding, and most importantly, being safe.