An 81-year-old Fort Sumner homeowner said he caught the mouse inside his house and just wanted to get rid of it.
The man threw the critter in a pile of burning leaves near his home, but it ran back to the house on fire.
Village Fire Chief Juan Chavez said the mouse ran to just beneath a window and the flames spread up the window and throughout the house.
All contents of the home were destroyed, but no injuries were reported, Chavez said.
One of the local TV channels carried video footage of the house burning. Haven’t found it online, though.
Update: Further TV coverage indicates the elderly dude lost control of his pile of burning leaves — and made up the mouse story.
Like in the movie Mouse Hunt, but my sympathies were with the rodent.
Why would anyone’s sympathies be with a rodent?
“Why would anyone’s sympathies be with a rodent?”
Perhaps because it was the victim? Perhaps it’s difficult to be sympathetic towards somebody who would throw a live animal into a fire?
It sounds like the man just wanted to see a mouse burn to death. If you have caught a live mouse and you have gotten it outside, just put the damn thing on the ground and go back in your house. If it can get back into your house again, maybe you should have somebody come in and find the gaping hole in your foundation where mice can get in and fix it.
I vote for the rodent also. Once he was caught, how hard would it have been to drive to a wooded area and release it? Throwing it into a fire to burn alive is cruel.
I bet you PETA is happy about this story. if it was me I would just put out rat poisen and fatel rat traps, cut that dang thing in half.
Screw the mouse. they are disease breeding pests, not Mickey freeking mouse.
His mistake was not STEPPING on it first THEN throwing it into the fire.
You mouse guys go live in an infested house or in the woods for a while.
I am no PETA member, and I have had a mouse or two that I have taken care of, but I am with the mouse on this one. trying to burn a living animal to death is simply cruel. that guy got what he deserved.
Probably an urban legend. I’ve heard it before… 🙂
It’s been confirmed. It’s not true:
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/5973746/detail.html