28 of the Dumbest Ways People Accidentally Started Fires

While there’s probably not a “smart” way to accidentally start a fire, there are assuredly some very dumb ways to get the job done. Like the guy who thought the best method for getting rid of ants was burning them with a butane torch. Or the dude who tried to forge a sword in a burn barrel like he saw on the History Channel. Or the woman who caught a bag of popcorn on fire, threw it in the trash can, and then as a bonus layer of stupidity, covered the burning bag with paper towels. Dumb, dumb and dumb with a twist. 

Anyway, the firefighters and firestarters of Reddit have fanned the flames of the worst accidental blazes they’ve seen, and some of these stories might make you brush up on your fire-safety precautions.