A Walgreens in Modesto, California was evacuated on Saturday, due to a fire started by a man in their bathroom.
According to The Sacramento Bee, 45-year-old Andrew Cheadle told Modesto police that he had an accident, and panicked (Hey, it happens). Cheadle claims that he tried to get his underwear off, but couldn’t, so he grabbed a lighter and tried to burn them off (now this one I doubt many have tried).
So Cheadle then had burning underwear, and threw them into the toilet, which put out the fire. But this didn’t prevent the bathroom from being filled with smoke, and this caused the Walgreens to be evacuated. The Sacramento Bee says Cheadle admitted to the store employees that he started the fire. He then left the scene, and was eventually found down in a nearby neighborhood by police:
Cheadle threw the burning underwear in the toilet which quickly extinguished the fire, but smoke filled the bathroom, prompting an evacuation of the store.
Cheadle left the store, admitting to several employees that he started the fire, then headed south on Carver, said Modesto Fire Department Battalion Chief Randy Anderson.
Cheadle was found in a nearby neighborhood on Otis Avenue and Sheldon Drive.
Cheadle was arrested on two felony warrants, but was not charged with arson “due to the reason he lit his pants on fire.”
That’s very thoughtful of the Modesto PD.
