Dog Bowl Starts Fire At California Home

A shiny dog bowl reportedly started a fire at a California home on Wednesday afternoon.

Santa Rosa couple Terry and Shay Weisbrich were shocked to discover that a fire had broke out on the deck outside of their house. Although they managed to get the blaze under control before any irreparable damage was done, the fire did manage to burn a hole in their siding.

The pair were alerted about the fire by their dog. The couple said the canine was incessantly barking at the flames that had sparked near his metal bowl.

“It’s a good thing we got to it in time because there’s a pretty good-sized hole burned in the siding,” Terry explained to the Press Democrat.

The couple didn’t realize the dog bowl had started the fire on their deck until an engineer with the fire department took a look at the situation. He explained that sunlight had refracted off the bowl and ignited the fire on the side of their house.

“It was uncanny. There was a dot of concentrated light right in that exact area,” engineer Rene Torres explained.

Torres said he discovered the source of the fire when he returned the bowl to its original position on the deck. To make sure this sort of thing didn’t happen again, the couple decided to purchase a new plastic bowl that wouldn’t refract the sunlight.

Although folks shouldn’t rush out to the nearest retailer to buy plastic replacements for their shiny pet bowls, it’s probably worth noting the location and the time of day you choose to feed your pets. Chances of something like this happening to you are extremely slim, though it’s always best to err on the side of caution.

What do you think about the shiny dog bowl that started a fire at a Northern California home?

[Image via Shutterstock.com]