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Man tries to kill spider with blow torch and sets home on fire

A man on a mission to kill a large spider has set his home on fire, after trying to hunt the arachnid down with a mini blowtorch.

The man from Redding, California, lit the wolf spider on fire, which then scurried onto a nearby mattress spreading the fire to the bed.

Lyndsey Wisegarver, a carer of one of the residents, told the Statesman Journal the men were able to extinguish the blaze on the mattress, but not before it spread to the curtains and a flag collection.

The fire wasn’t enough to completely destroy the apartment, but the extent of the damage has forced the residents to move out.

Battalion Chief Rob Pitt told the Statesman Journal the residents tried to put the fire out with a garden house but were unsuccessful.

A wolf spider waits for prey outside its hiding place. Source: Getty
A wolf spider waits for prey outside its hiding place. Source: Getty

No neighbouring apartments were damaged, but the repair bill is expected to cost close to $14,000.

No one was injured in the blaze. The spider, however, is believed to have perished.

Incredibly, it's not the first time someone has set fire to their home while attempting to kill a spider.

In October, a resident in Tucson, Arizona, was using a blowtorch to burn spiders and spiderwebs from under their mobile home when it went up in flames.

An elderly woman sustained minor injuries in the blaze and was treated by paramedics at the scene.