Roof collapses following Gosport house fire caused by sunlight reflecting off glass

Crews from Gosport, Fareham, Southsea, Cosham and Portchester were called at 10:29 to a terraced property on Selsey Avenue.

Firefighters arrived to find the roof on fire and smoke issuing from the building.

The occupants were out of the two-storey property and nobody was hurt as the roof collapsed.

As well as tackling the fire, crews performed a salvage operation to save some of the belongings inside the house.

The fire was tackled by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus sets and using hose reels and jets.

HIWFRS conducted a number of Safe and Well visits at neighbouring houses before the stop message came in at 13:23.

The incident was scaled down so that only one fire engine and the aerial ladder remain in attendance.

We are now reminding people to ensure that glass ornaments and mirrors aren’t left near windows where they could catch and reflect sunlight.

Incident commander Phil Foxton said:

“We believe that a combination of the extreme heat and glassware refracting the sunlight possibly sparked this fire. 

“We advise people not to keep magnifying beauty mirrors or glass objects next to windows. In direct sunlight mirrors and glass can magnify the sun’s rays and burn soft furnishing in the room. 

“Incidents like this are a rare occurrence, but a shocking reality, which can cause significant damage to your home.