US man sets apartment on fire in an attempt to kill spider

(Representational image)

New Delhi: In a bid to kill a spider using a torch lighter, a man in the United States ended up burning down his apartment.

As per the US media, the fire occurred on Sunday in a block of flats in the city of Redding in northern California.

The man spotted the massive wolf spider in a room inside his flat and used a torch-style lighter to try and kill it, Lyndsey Wisegarver, a caregiver to the residents, said.

While the man lit the spider on fire, the flame did not kill it instantly. The burning arachnid scuttled away and ended up on a mattress, setting it on fire as well.

Wisegarver said the fire also spread to the drapes and a flag collection, the Redding Record Searchlight newspaper reported.

The blaze forced the residents to evacuate and firefighters were immediately called to the building.

No one was injured. However, the fire did cause about $11,000 in damage.

(With IANS inputs)