Photo: Getty Images
With the weather as hot as it's been, many people have been carrying water with them to stay hydrated, but if you're bringing around a bottle of H2O and keeping it in your car, you definitely need to read this warning.
It is crucial that you pay close attention to where you leave your water, especially if it is in a clear plastic bottle. As for why, well if you've ever watched a survival reality show, you might know that water in a clear plastic bottle can work in the same way that a magnifying glass does, by focusing the sun's light and heat onto one spot. That means that if the sun hits a bottle in your automobile in just the right way, it could actually start a devastating fire in your car.
Idaho Power uploaded a video to show just how easily and quickly it can happen:
Realistically, it's unlikely this would occur since most upholstery is now made with fireproof material, plus, for the bottle to become a lens, it has to be just the right shape and texture and be in the right position in the sun for an extended period of time.
However, with the right circumstances it is very possible, and if there are papers, clothes or trash in a car, that stuff could ignite, so stay hydrated this summer, but be careful where you leave your bottles.