Energy-efficient windows blamed for starting fires

SEVERE WEATHER IS IN YOUR AREA.

>>> A BRUSH FIRE STARTED BY A

WINDOW.

TONIGHT THEY CALL FOR ACTION

FROM SCARED HOMEOWNERS.

IT'S A NEW AND FRIGHTENING

DEVELOPMENT THAT ALREADY

PROMPTED A CHANGE IN THE STATE

BUILDING CODE.

>> TONIGHT 5 ON YOUR SIDE

MONICA LALIBERTE IS HERE WITH

THE VIDEO THAT SIGNIFICANTLY

RAISES THE LEVEL OF CONCERN.

MONICA?

>> THIS IS SOMETHING.

FOUR FIRES, TWO IN ANOTHER

RIGHT HERE.

WE HAVE LEARNED OF ANOTHER FIRE

IN BOSTON, ALL BELIEVED TO BE

STARTED FROM THE LOW E WINDOWS.

THEY ARE REQUIRED IN ALL NEW

CONSTRUCTION AND THEY HAVE BEEN

FOR YEARS.

FLAMES ARE RACING ACROSS THE

YARD AND ON ALL THINGS A

PROPANE TANK.

THE HOMEOWNERS SECURITY

CAMERAS, THEY RECORDED IT ALL.

FIRST YOU'LL SEE THE SMOKE IN

THIS TIME LAPSE.

THEN THE GROWING FLAMES.

THEY WOULD SPREAD FOR AT LEAST

20 MINUTES BEFORE HELP ARRIVED.

A LANDSCAPE CREW IS WORKING

NEARBY, THEY TRIED TO TRAMPLE

THE FLAMES THAT SURROUNDED THE

PROPANE.

>> MY LEGS WERE SHAKING, MY

NEIGHBORS WERE SHAKING.

>> Reporter: AND ADDING TO HER

FEAR THAT DAY INVESTIGATORS

TOLD NANCY IT APPEARS THE FIRE

AT HER HOME, IT WAS POSSIBLY

ARSON.

TWO DAYS LATER ANOTHER FIRE IN

THE SAME LOCATION.

INVESTIGATORS WOULD POKE

AROUND.

ONE SUDDENLY FELT A CLUE.

>> I WANTED TO SAY IT WENT

ACROSS THEIR FOREHEAD BECAUSE

IT WILL HIT RIGHT HERE.

OUCH.

>> Reporter: IT WAS THE

SUNLIGHT, REFLECTED FROM THE

NEIGHBOR'S BRAND NEW ENERGY

EFFICIENT LOW E WINDOW.

AND THE FIREFIGHTERS, THEY

WOULD DESCRIBE THE REFLECTION

AS SO INTENSE A THAT YOU

COULDN'T HOLD YOUR HAND IN IT

FOR MORE THAN 30 SECONDS BEFORE

IT FELT LIKE IT WAS BURNING.

>> IT IS SMOKE AGAIN.

>> Reporter: THIS SMOLDERING

MULCH IS AT ANOTHER HOME.

>> IT IS THE BURNING BUSH.

>> Reporter: HE RECORDED IT A

DAY AFTER THE REFLECTION FROM

THIS WINDOW IN HIS OWN HOUSE

IGNITED HIS YARD.

>> IT WAS LITERALLY IN FLAMES,

YOU KNOW, FOUR FEET HIGH ABOVE

THE TREE LITERALLY ENGULFED.

>> Reporter: HE SPENT $800 TO

TINT THE WINDOW, BUT THE BEAM

STILL REFLECTS.

HE IS WORRIED FOR HIS FAMILY.

>> AND THEN I WENT OUT AND

BOUGHT FOR EVERY ROOM THESE

INSTANT SPRAYS OR THE FIRE

EXTINGUISHERS.

HI A COUPLE IN THE HOUSE, BUT

NOW THEY ALL HAVE IT JUST IN

CASE.

>> Reporter: SHE HAD THAT

PROPANE TANK REMOVED, CLEARING

OUT THE PINE STRAW AND STARTED

AN ADMITTEDLY BIZARRE OR WHAT

SHE CALLS NECESSARY DAILY

ROUTINE.

>> I COME OUT AND I HOSE THIS

DOWN AND THEN I START LAYING MY

MIRRORS.

>> Reporter: MIRRORS TO REFLECT

THAT BEAM THAT IS SO HOT IT

CRACKED THE GLASS AND IT MELTED

THE FRAMES.

>> IT IS NOT VERY SIGHTLY, BUT

DESPERATE AT THIS POINT.

>> Reporter: WE REPORTED ON THE

ISSUE FOR YEARS.

REFLECTIONS ARE THE STRONGEST

FROM SOUTH FACING WINDOWS IN

LATE FALL, WINTER, AND EARLY

SPRING WHEN THE SUN IS AT A LOW

ANGLE.

>> AND IT WAS PRETTY

UNBELIEVABLE.

>> Reporter: BEAMS MELTED

PLASTIC ON CARS AND VINYL

SIDING ON HOMES, STATE, AND

NATIONWIDE.

AFTER OUR INVESTIGATION, THE

NORTH CAROLINA BUILDING CODE,

IT WAS CHANGED TO ALLOW

BUILDERS TO SWAP OUT PROBLEM

WINDOWS.

WE TOOK THE VIDEO OF THE

BURNING YARDS TO OUR STATE'S

TOP FIRE SAFETY EXPERT.

>> HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM THE

PROPANE TANK?

THAT IS SCARY.

>> Reporter: NORTH CAROLINA

INSURANCE COMMISSIONER AND FIRE

MARSHAL MIKE CAUSEY.

>> WE ARE CONCERNED FROM A FIRE

SAFETY STAN -- STANDPOINT THAT

THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES, A

LOT OF QUESTIONS WILL NEED

ANSWERS BEFORE THEY COULD MAKE

RECOMMENDATIONS.

>> Reporter: CAUSING A QUESTION

WHETHER THE BUILDING AND THE

GLASS INDUSTRY COULD MAKE

CHANGES TO PREVENT THE

DANGEROUS RAVES.

AS FOR AN IMMEDIATE FIX, THAT

CODE CHANGE.

>> Reporter: MAYBE SWAP OUT

PROBLEMS WHEN THEY KNOW IT'S A

PROBLEM?

>> EXACTLY.

>> Reporter: WE ALSO TOOK THE

CONCERNS TO THE WINDOW AND DOOR

MANUFACTURER ASSOCIATION.

THE SPOKESMAN E-MAILED SAYING

ONLY THE ASSOCIATION IS NOT

AWARE OF ANY RESEARCH OR

STUDIES BEING DONE OUT OF

CONCERN LOW E WINDOWS POSE A

FIRE RISK.

PATRICK'S BUILDER INITIALLY

TOLD HIM THE PROBLEM WAS NOT

COVERED BY HIS HOME OWN --

HOMEOWNER WARRANTY.

AFTER THEY GOT INVOLVED THEY

WOULD I.E.

TO ADD TO A SOLAR SCREEN.

>> I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

>> Reporter: NANCY DIDN'T GET

ANYWHERE WITH HER NEIGHBOR

UNTIL I REACHED OUT TO HIM.

HE NOW SAYS HE WILL HAVE TO

REPLACE THEIR WINDOW IN

QUESTION AND SOLUTIONS FOR

THESE HOMES, BUT THEY BOTH SEE

THIS AS A MUCH BIGGER ISSUE.

>> Reporter: IF THIS WAS A CAR,

YOU KNOW, A BABY BLANKET,

ANYTHING LIKE THAT CAUGHT ON

FIRE THERE WOULD BE A RECALL.

>> THE MELTING VINYL AND CAR

PARTS ARE ONE THING.

BUT WHEN YOU ARE STARTING

FIRES, SOMEBODY TRULY NEEDS TO

DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.

>> WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO THE

CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY

COMMISSION AND THE SPOKESWOMAN

TOLD US THIS IS A BUILDING CODE

ISSUE, NOT AN ISSUE FOR THE

CPSC.

THE FIRE MARSHAL SAYS HIS

OFFICE WANTS TO E HEAR FROM ANY

HOMEOWNERS WHO WOULD HAVE FIRES

OR THINK THERE IS SOME SORT OF

ISSUE LIKE THAT.

>> IS IT EXPENSIVE TO CHANGE

THE WINDOWS OUT?

>> I DON'T KNOW, HUNDREDS,

THOUSANDS MAYBE IN SOME OF THE

NEWER HOMES AND BIG WINDOWS,

THEY'RE NOT CHEAP.

AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT IT

WILL ROLL DOWN TO FOR MOST

PEOPLE THAT EVERYBODY IS

POINTING FINGERS ON WHO SHOULD

HAVE TO PAY FOR IT.

>> SOUNDS LIKE NO ONE WANTS TO

PAY.

BUT IF IT HAPPENS TO YOU, YOU

DO NOT WANT THAT DANGER.

>> RIGHT.

>> THAT IS WHY HE WAS WILLING

TO TAKE ON THE COST IT IS HIS

HOUSE, BUT YOU CAN'T MAKE YOUR

NEIGHBOR PAY.

>> WELL, THAT'S AMAZING.

>> IT IS JUST FRIGHTENING TO

SEE THE VIDEO.

>> THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ISSUE

THAT THEY WILL BE HEARING A LOT

MORE ABOUT.

>> MONICA, THANK YOU.