Man set house on fire while using blowtorch to remove spider webs

An attempt to remove spider webs ended with a charred Californian home at about 1 p.m. on Saturday. 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, said George Basbous, Maida's brother-in-law.

While Maida went into the front yard unaware, Basbous noticed smoke rising from the top of the house. "And that's when I went crazy," Basbous said. Maida's wife, Jiana Maida, and their two infant boys were outside by the time the fire had spread, and no injuries were reported. Basbous called 9-1-1 and emergency responders were dispatched by 12:55 p.m.



Firefighters extinguished the blaze by cutting a hole in the roof to draw the fire upward, said Chief Keith Carter of Chico Fire. Without the hole, the fire would have "mushroomed" and spread farther sideways in the attic. Damages totaled $25,000 and also left the family displaced because of destroyed electrical wiring, Fire Inspector Marie Fickert said. The family is currently without insurance.

Smoke detectors didn't set off until 5 minutes after Basbous called 911, most likely because the fire was either outside or above the detectors until smoke reached them, she said. Five engines and one truck responded — three from the Chico Fire Department and two from Cal Fire — along with a First Responder ambulance and volunteers from Chico Fire Company 1. The prompt response from firefighters minimized damages, Fickert said.