Sparked by extreme heat, bottle of water causes fire inside car

In an effort to stay hydrated this summer, many people keep a bottle of water close.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — In an effort to stay hydrated this summer, many people keep a bottle of water close.
But in some cases, that can be a problem.
Dioni Amuchastegue, a battery technician on the west coast, recently made a mistake that is now educating people across the country, including right here in Kentuckiana.
"I looked over and noticed that light was being refracted through a water bottle and starting to catch the seat on fire."
Amuchastegue said the water bottle became a magnifying glass for the sunlight.
The spark generated by the sunlight and water bottle even surprised firefighters.
"I guess I never thought about it before, but it makes sense," Brooks said.
"So I would highly recommend that you keep any, especially clear plastic water bottles, out of direct sunlight."
Firefighters say if you don’t want to take the bottle with you, putting it under your seat is another option.

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