Man uses torch to thaw pipes, starts fire

BEL ALTON, Md., Dec. 27 (UPI) -- A Bel Alton, Md., man scorched part of his home while trying to use a propane torch to thaw frozen pipes.

Charles Woodland tried to thaw a kerosene pipe with a propane torch after the heater in the house where he lives with his 81-year-old mother failed to work properly, the Washington Post reported.

While he was trying to free up the pipes, a fire started. While neither Woodland nor his mother was injured by the ensuing blaze, damage to the house and contents was assessed by investigators at $150,000.

The practice causes fires in homes all around the nation every winter and last month led to the death of a man in Wyoming man. Fairfax County (Va.) Fire and Rescue Department spokesman Dan Schmidt told the Post the department is called to put out a fire caused by the practice an average of once a year.

"The sensible thing is to call in a plumber," Schmidt said.