A bizarre and dangerous incident in the Pocono Mountains has left multiple homes damaged after a Pennsylvania man allegedly tried to burn spiders out of his house — with catastrophic results.
Police in Pocono Pines say 36-year-old Sean McDermott lit several small fires inside his townhome on Monday, telling a witness he was trying to eradicate spiders. According to the witness, those small flames escalated when McDermott placed a smoldering fire on the floor and covered it with a loveseat.
Despite repeated attempts by the witness to extinguish the fires, McDermott allegedly kept relighting them. Eventually, the situation spiraled out of control. By the time firefighters arrived around 6 p.m., flames had ripped through his unit and spread into three adjacent townhomes.
Fire crews battled the blaze for hours in bitter winter conditions before bringing the fire under control. When the witness and McDermott left the area earlier in the day, they didn’t expect to return to a full-blown inferno.
McDermott then fled the scene in a U-Haul truck and has not been located. He’s now wanted on numerous charges, including felony arson, aggravated arson, and reckless endangerment. Authorities urge anyone with information on his whereabouts to contact police.
