Shocking viral footage captures how quickly mirror could have caused deadly house fire

By James Somper

Shocking footage filmed by a horrified young woman shows how quickly a makeup mirror nearly started a deadly house fire as temperatures continue to rise in the UK.

The dramatic footage, filmed by Rebecca Thompson, captures the No. 7 magnifying mirror creating a smouldering burn and billowing smoke within seconds of being left in direct sunlight at the 25-year-old’s open window.

Data and planning consultant Rebecca awoke early on Sunday morning to enjoy the sunshine and left her bedroom to go for a quick shower.

But when she returned to her room 45 minutes later she noticed a funny smell and was shocked when she drew back her curtains to spot the mirror, which was given to her as a Christmas present in 2017, was burning the plastic of her window frame.

Horrified Rebecca, from Norwich, Norfolk, always does her makeup at the window for the best natural light and was terrified to realise how easily a fatal fire could be sparked by the Boots-branded mirror because of its magnifying lens.

Her shocking video footage of the smoking window frame has racked up 3.6 million Facebook views.

Rebecca said: “I woke up at about 6am and went about my morning routine.

“When I returned to my bedroom to complete my makeup I smelt a plastic burning smell.

“I always do my makeup at the window for the best lighting.

“So I thought nothing of the smell until I drew the curtains and my mirror was burning through the plastic on the window using the sunlight’s reflection.

“I wanted to catch a very short video to outline how dangerous this is and what it could have caused if I hadn’t have been there.

“It’s easy to forget to move a mirror when in a rush and if you tend to use only one side of a mirror you just forget the other side is there.

“Depending on what the beam of sunlight was aimed at, the house could have burned down.

“If I had left the house, it would been a different story.”

With the mercury continuing to rise in Britain, fire chiefs have issued warnings around mirror safety.

Members of the public are advised not to keep magnifying beauty mirrors next to a window, because they can concentrate the sun’s rays, causing a nearby objects to set fire.