A Utah man was arrested after allegedly starting a wildfire with his lighter while attempting to burn a spider.
Cory Allan Martin, 26, told deputies that he saw the spider while hiking in the foothills south of Salt Lake City near Springville on Monday.
He admitted to starting the fire but refused to explain why he was attempting to burn the spider.
Deputies discovered a jar of marijuana in his possession, but he did not appear to be high, according to Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Spencer Cannon.
There is no evidence that he intentionally started the fire, according to Cannon, but he described it as a reckless and perplexing decision.
This area, like the rest of Utah, is bone dry due to the extreme drought.
"We don't know what made him stop, notice a spider, and decide to try to burn it," Cannon said.
The wildfire had burned at least 60 acres and was 90 percent contained as of Tuesday afternoon. No homes burned.
Martin was arrested on suspicion of careless burning, marijuana possession, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
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