Alex Carson
Staying Hydrated
During the summer, it is important that you drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. When you are out and about, you should keep a bottle of water with you to sip on regularly. According to recent studies, driving while dehydrated can be just as dangerous as driving while drunk. Being severely dehydrated can have the same effects that being drunk can have. This is why it is so important to stay hydrated during the summer when you are going to be driving.
Dioni Amuchastegui
Dioni was working one day when he decided to take a break and get a drink of water. He had left his water bottle in his truck, and when he went over to the truck, he noticed something shocking. As he approached the car, he noticed that there was smoke in the front seat of the truck.
The Water Bottle
Dioni had left the water bottle sitting on the front seat. When the sun beamed down into the truck, the water bottle became a makeshift, which magnified the rays of the sun onto the material of the seat, which caused the seat to start smoking. Had he not went to get a drink of water when he did, his whole truck could have gone up in flames. After getting the water bottle out off the car and putting a stop to the dangerous situation, he went back to his co-workers and told them what happened. At first, they didn’t believe him. They couldn’t see how it could have been possible that a water bottle could start a fire in his truck.
Idaho Power Steps In
When Dioni’s employer, Idaho Power, heard about what happened in Dioni’s car, they decided to use it as a teaching opportunity. After hearing what almost happened to one of their employees, they filmed a short video for Facebook entitled, Safety Check: Water Bottle In a Hot Car.
The Opening Clip
The opening clip shows Dioni, and he explains what happened on the day his truck almost caught fire. In the video, he says, “So I was taking an early lunch and sitting in the truck. I happened to notice smoke coming out of the corner of my eye. I looked over and noticed that light was being refracted through a water bottle and started to catch the seat on fire.” He mentioned that he had to do a double-take to make sure that he really saw smoke. When he saw that he was, he grabbed the water bottle, and it was extremely hot. He says that even though he knew that it was the water bottle causing the fire, he still couldn’t believe it.
Showing the Damage
After telling his story, Dioni wanted to give the viewers more proof that it really happened, and he showed the two burn marks that the water bottle caused to his interior. He looked into the camera and told the audience that Idaho Power was going to recreate what had happened to him on that day.
The Recreation
Idaho Power recreated the situation by putting a bottle on the seat of the car, and a non-contact thermometer was also placed in the car. It didn’t take long for the thermometer to register a very high temperature. When the temperature reaches 213 degrees Fahrenheit, the plastic started to smoke. This time, they didn’t take the bottle out of the car, and it resulted in a fire. Soon, the entire car was in flames. The video was both shocking and scary.
Attention
The video quickly gained a great deal of attention. In just a few hours, the video received over 2,000 likes, and it was shared over 7,000 times. Most of the people who commented on the video said that they couldn’t believe that something so serious could happen from a simple water bottle. Many people thanked Idaho Power for raising awareness. The video can help prevent a disaster.
Another Interesting Point
One Facebook user brought up another interesting point. When plastic bottles are left in the sun, whether they are full or empty, toxins are released in the bottle, which can be harmful to the person drinking the water as well as the planet. This user suggested that people use glass bottles for their water during the summer. If a bottle was left in the sun, you shouldn’t drink that water, and the bottle needs to be thrown away in an appropriate recycle wastebasket.
The Experts Agree
David Richardson from Oakland’s Midwest City Fire Department weighed in on the situation. He agreed with what the video showed, and believes that it wasn’t rigged. David says that it is absolutely possible for a water bottle to start a fire. This is the alarming reason why leaving bottled water in your car can be a deadly mistake.
