Rodent Deterrent Believed to Have Sparked Wildfire

SILVERADO CANYON, Calif. - The four-day-old Silverado Fire, which has burned nearly 1,000 acres, was apparently ignited by the sun reflecting off metal sheeting put up by someone trying to keep rodents out of a vegetable garden, a fire official told ABC 10 San Diego.

The two-foot high metal sheeting was wrapped around a wood border, and the reflected rays ignited the wood and grass in a backyard in the 30500 block of Silverado Canyon Road about 10:30 a.m. Friday, according to Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi.

Residents should "use wire mesh to keep small rodents out" of gardens, he said.

"Do not ever use a material that reflects like metal sheeting -- it becomes like a magnifying glass," Concialdi said.

http://www.10news.com/news/u-s-world/silverado-fire-sparked-by-rodent-deterrent