While trying to kill a spider, Hutchinson woman sets duplex on fire

A 34-year-old Hutchinson woman told authorities that she wasn’t really trying to set her duplex on fire — she was simply trying to kill a spider.

According to The Hutchinson News, firefighters were called to the duplex Friday and found light smoke coming from the woman’s half of the duplex. Some clothing was smoldering just inside the doorway, and firefighters found multiple other points of origin for the fire. They quickly brought it under control.

Although no one was injured and there was no damage to the structure other than light smoke damage, the woman was arrested on a charge of aggravated arson because the other half of the duplex also was occupied, according to The Hutchinson News.

The woman explained to officers that she had used a cigarette lighter to set some towels on fire to kill a spider, according to a police summary of the incident.

She was being held in the Reno County jail in lieu of $7,500 bond.

This story was originally published June 28, 2014 at 8:26 PM with the headline "While trying to kill a spider, Hutchinson woman sets duplex on fire."