Police: Man set home ablaze clearing cobwebs with blowtorch

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — A Colorado man was arrested after investigators say he set his mother’s house on fire while trying to get rid of cobwebs with a blowtorch. The Boulder Daily Camera reports the 39-year-old man was taken into custody after Monday’s fire near Longmont. He faces several charges, including first-degree arson. No one was injured in the fire. Investigators say the man acknowledged using a blowtorch to clear cobwebs in the crawlspace under the home, and he tried to put out the fire for an hour by himself before calling emergency crews. The blaze caused about $100,000 in damages.