Snow Globes Blamed for Almost Starting Ore. House Fire
MILWAUKIE, Ore. -- Firefighters are blaming snow globes for focusing intense beams of sunlight on a couch Saturday evening, almost starting a fire.
Steve McAdoo, Clackamas Fire District 1 spokesman, said three large snow globes on a windowsill acted like a triple-lens, concentrating the light on the back of couch until it began to smolder.
"Thankfully the couch never actually caught on fire," McAdoo said. "But it did smolder, releasing a moderate amount of smoke."
McAdoo said a resident of the 12000 block of Southeast 19th Avenue heard a smoke alarm going off in a neighbor's house around 6 p.m. After looking in the window to survey the situation, he called 9-1-1.
No one was home at the time, and firefighters had to force open the front door.
"Due to quick action by the neighbor to call 9-1-1, this 'fire' caused little or no damage to the home," McAdoo said.
Copyright 2012 - The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.
McClatchy-Tribune News Service