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You probably think nothing of leaving a plastic water bottle in your car but doing so could have disastrous consequences. US power company worker, Dioni Amuchastegui learnt this the hard way when he left his bottle of water on the front seat of his truck whilst he was working.
1. The innocent act: Dioni was taking an early lunch break eating a sandwich in his truck when out of the corner of his eye he noticed smoke beginning to rise from the seat next to him. It turned out that light was being refracted from the bottle, causing the seat to catch fire.
2. The outcome: Thankfully, Dioni caught the danger early and was able to prevent his whole truck from combusting but he was left with two burn marks on his front passenger seat. His co-workers were shocked when he explained what had happened and he decided to create a video to warn people of the risk. David Richardson of the Midwest City Fire Department in Oklahoma saw this video and decided to run his own test. 'The air temperature doesn't matter', he explained. 'It works just like a magnifying glass, like one that you would use to burn leaves as a kid. It's the same principle'.
3. The recommendation: Dark coloured drinks or tinted bottles shouldn't pose a danger but it's recommended that clear plastic bottles be stored away from sunlight. You can stash them in the glove compartment or under the seat. Whilst the risk of a fire starting this way is ultimately pretty low, it's always better to be safe than sorry, right?
