California Man Accidentally Sets House on Fire After Trying to Kill Black Widow Spiders With Blowtorch

As someone with arachnophobia, the story of a person who accidentally set fire to his parents’ home because he wanted to kill some black widow spiders sounds like a small price to pay to remedy a bigger problem. According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, a California man was house-sitting for his parents Tuesday night when he discovered the spiders.

Being that he was the only person in the residence at the time of the discovery, this brave individual decided to take justice into his own hands by arming himself with a blowtorch. It seems like a ridiculous plan of attack—and maybe it is—but if you want to ensure that you kill these spiders without getting anywhere close to them, you can’t go wrong with a blowtorch. 

Eventually, around 30 firefighters responded to the spider-related fire. Even though the second story of the home and the attic were damaged by the flames, the fire was put out quickly, and the man was able to get out unharmed. The Fresno City firefighters’ account tweeted out a common sense message to their residents in light of this bizarre incident. 

While it’s relieving to know that the man was able to get out unscathed, what about these spiders? Did he get them all? Or are they plotting their revenge for when him and his family return?

Interestingly, it’s not the first time someone has tried to use fire to kill a spider and ended up burning their home in the process.