Crystal Ball Sets House on Fire

Firefighters have issued a call to people not to place glass objects on windows sills after a crystal ball set fire to a room in a house in Romford, Essex on Saturday night.

The ball refracted the sun's rays, setting light to the curtains, which caught ablaze, before fire spread to the rest of the room. Clearly, the crystal ball itself had limited powers when it came to predicting its own firestarting abilities.

Firefighters were called, but luckily no one was hurt.

Fire Investigation Officer Mick Boyle from London Fire Brigade said, “The blaze caused severe damage to the bedroom but thankfully no one was hurt...you can’t predict the future, but you can prevent this type of fire by keeping glass ornaments, mirrors, and bottles away from sunny window sills.

The fire comes hot on the heels of the new London 'Walkie Talkie' skyscraper which focussed the sun's rays onto the pavement below, melting cars and pavements.

[via London Fire Brigade]

(Images: Shutterstock)