A man attempting to kill venomous spiders with a blowtorch likely caused a California house fire on Tuesday night, according to local media reports.

The man, 23, used a blow torch on the exterior brick of his parents' Fresno home in an attempt to kill black widow spiders, the Los Angeles Times reports. The man's parents were not home when the incident occurred, the paper says.

Capt. Robert Castillo of the Fresno Fire Department told the publication that the brick had a crack in it, which allowed material inside the home to catch on fire.

More than two dozen firefighters responded to the two-alarm blaze, which damaged the home's second story and attic, KFSN reports. The fire caused no injuries, the station says.

MORE:Firefighters rescue small dog that got stuck in ceiling duct

Black widow spiders are commonly found in populated areas in California, according to the University of California. While bites are rare, they can be extremely painful.

Even so, Castillo advised against the blowtorch approach.

“This is definitely not the preferred method to exterminate spiders in and around your home,” he told the Times.