Sunlight reflecting off shaving mirror starts house fire

BROOKFIELD, Mass. (AP) — A fire at an old Massachusetts farmhouse is being blamed on a shaving mirror left outside in the sun.

Brookfield fire Chief Peter Martell tells The Telegram & Gazette (http://bit.ly/1QXyKJ3 ) that the magnifying mirror was on a bench on the home's deck Monday when it reflected a beam of sunlight onto the side of the wooden house, sparking the blaze.

The fire was reported at about 2:30 p.m. by a passer-by who noticed smoke.

Only one of the house's three residents was home at the time. He escaped without injury.

Martell says the house sustained extensive damage and the Red Cross helped residents find temporary housing.

The home had working smoke detectors.

Brookfield is about 60 miles west of Boston.