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Man uses “blowtorch” to kill spider, sets house on fire

SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle fire officials say a man trying to kill a spider caused a $60,000 fire using “a self-made blowtorch.”

Fire department spokesman Kyle Moore says the man used a can of spray paint and a lighter in an attempt to torch the spider, setting the wall and ceiling of a laundry room on fire.

The man initially tried to put water on the fire, but the blaze quickly spread into the attic.

Moore says fire “is not the method to use to kill a spider,” though he’s “pretty sure” the spider died in the blaze.

Fire crews were called to the rental home in West Seattle just before 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

The Red Cross is providing temporary shelter for the home’s two residents, whom authorities have not identified.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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