Robert Gailey, 79, watched in horror as sparks from a gas-powered garden tool caused the lawn and shrubs of his neighbours, Stuart and Phyliss McLean, to catch light.
Mr Gailey had been using a Weed Wand, a £20 hand-held flaming device which burns weeds, to treat the driveway of his semi-detached home in Paisley, Renfrewshire.
Within seconds, the McLeans's manicured lawn and evergreen trees were aflame and Mr Gailey's wife, Mary, called the Fire Brigade.
Mr Gailey, who holds a 1st in science from Glasgow University, admitted his embarrassment over the blunder: "I had been using the Weed Wand to get rid of weeds on my driveway. A couple of sparks had come off and before I knew it they had started a blaze in the garden next door.
"I may be over 70 but I ran to get the hose from my back garden but unfortunately the flames had taken hold. Thankfully, no damage was done to any of the houses and the bill for the repair work has been agreed on between myself and the neighbours."
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