Man sets gas station on fire after trying to kill spider with lighter (VIDEO)

A man in the US set a gas pump on fire as he tried to kill a spider with a cigarette lighter as he was filling his car up with petrol. The man miraculously managed to escape serious injury.

The incident happened in the city of Center Line, which is not far from Detroit. The man admitted that he took the unusual decision because he had spotted a spider on his gas tank and he has an extreme phobia of arachnids.

Employee Susan Adams saw what was happening and immediately hit the gas automatic stop button and called the local fire department, while the man quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher to put out the blaze.

"He was sorry," Adams told Fox 2. "He was sorry, he said he didn't know. It is just one of those things that happen - stupidity."

Miraculously, the man escaped injury, while his car was almost unscathed. However, the fuel pump will need replacing, though it is expected to be covered by the gas station’s insurance.