ANAHEIM : Mirror’s Reflection Causes $400,000 Fire

A fire ignited by reflections of the sun from a mirror caused $400,000 in damage to a house in Anaheim Hills on Friday, injuring one person, fire officials said.

Anaheim Battalion Chief Steve Magliocco said an Anaheim man who attempted to put out the fire before firefighters arrived received second-degree burns. The name of the injured man was not immediately released.

Magliocco said the fire began about 9:55 a.m. in the 4200 block of East Rocky Point Road. Beams of sunlight reflected from a 4-by-8-foot concave mirror ignited cedar shingles in the front porch area of the house, another spokesperson said.

“They had apparently set the mirror outside for a short while,” a fire spokesman said. “They apparently left it out too long and in the wrong direction.”

Using a garden hose, the owner of the house attempted to put out the blaze that had spread to the attic. He received some slight burns to his forehead and was released after being treated by paramedics at the scene, Magliocco said.

About 31 firefighters from the Anaheim and Orange fire departments took about 40 minutes to control the fire. Smoke from the blaze attracted the attention of motorists on the Costa Mesa and Riverside freeways.