Things not to do: remove spider webs with a blow torch
It’s Saturday afternoon in Chico, California and George Basbous notices smoke rising from the top of the house of his brother-in-law, Eiliya Maida.
Public domain photo/ Anthony Appleyard at the wikipedia project
Basbous immediately called 911. Fortunately, his sister, Jiana Maida, and their two infant boys were outside by the time the fire had spread, and no injuries were reported.
What caused the fire?
According to a The Willits News report, homeowner, Eiliya Maida used a propane blowtorch to clear cobwebs in the backyard of his 811 Coit Tower Way home before dry plants ignited and started an attic fire.
When the Chico Fire Department arrived, five engines and one truck, firefighters cut a hole in the roof to draw the fire upward and put out the blaze.
Chief Keith Carter of Chico Fire said, “without the hole, the fire would have “mushroomed” and spread farther sideways in the attic.”
The homeowners, who didn’t have insurance, tallied $25,000 in damage and cannot stay at the home due to destroyed electrical wiring.
