Swedish fire alert set off by rare winter sunshine
Scandinavians are used to living in darkness for much of the winter and when one Swede spotted some bright lights in his neighbourhood, he was so shocked he called the emergency services.
With the sun setting before 3pm in most of Sweden in December, the chance of seeing some rays peeping out through the clouds is less likely than at other times of the year.
That chance is so rare in fact that a Swede living in Lockebo near Jonköping, south of Stockholm, believed that the dazzling lights coming from a neighbour's home were the result of the building being on fire, according to a report by Swedish broadcaster SVT.
The news network said on Wednesday that the suspicious resident raised the alarm at around 9am, being unable to leave their own home to check on the cause of the bright glow.
Regional police, ambulance and fire and rescue services rushed to the scene to investigate, prepared for the worst.
But when they arrived there was no fire, and officials concluded that what the neighbour had spotted was in fact sunlight reflected in a window.
The Local has contacted Jonköping police for comment.
This is not the first time that reflected sunshine has caused a stir during the Swedish winter.
Last January, residents of a new apartment block in Sundbyberg in Stockholm complained that the way their balconies had been designed caused them to be so dazzled by the sunlight that they were forced to wear sunglasses indoors.
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With the sun setting before 3pm in most of Sweden in December, the chance of seeing some rays peeping out through the clouds is less likely than at other times of the year.
That chance is so rare in fact that a Swede living in Lockebo near Jonköping, south of Stockholm, believed that the dazzling lights coming from a neighbour's home were the result of the building being on fire, according to a report by Swedish broadcaster SVT.
The news network said on Wednesday that the suspicious resident raised the alarm at around 9am, being unable to leave their own home to check on the cause of the bright glow.
Regional police, ambulance and fire and rescue services rushed to the scene to investigate, prepared for the worst.
But when they arrived there was no fire, and officials concluded that what the neighbour had spotted was in fact sunlight reflected in a window.
The Local has contacted Jonköping police for comment.
This is not the first time that reflected sunshine has caused a stir during the Swedish winter.
Last January, residents of a new apartment block in Sundbyberg in Stockholm complained that the way their balconies had been designed caused them to be so dazzled by the sunlight that they were forced to wear sunglasses indoors.
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