Father
knows worst

When it comes to upkeep of one’s property, it sometimes seems the chores are never-ending and it’s no wonder some try to find a shortcut here or there. Shortcuts, say, like clearing away cobwebs on the eaves with fire. But, as the saying goes, people who live in wood houses shouldn’t throw flames. Galen Winchell knows that now, but apparently didn’t right up until noticing that his Sargent, Georgia, home was ablaze.

Making the most of a Wednesday morning, the husband and father thought he’d do some cleaning around the property. Faced with those irritating yet delightfully flammable cobwebs, Winchell decided a blowtorch would be the ideal tool. Brooms, after all, are for old women. But the cobwebs weren’t all that caught fire and soon Winchell realized his idea mightn’t have been the wisest.

Firefighters arrived to find thick smoke billowing from the attic while the Winchell family watched from the street with fear and the realization that their patriarch might just be some kind of idiot. Though the fire was quickly contained, there was extensive smoke and water damage to the house. The area fire inspector advised others not to repeat Winchell’s cleaning tactics.

by SCOTT SAXON