A bumbling wannabe-arsonist nearly blew their own face off Monday night when they lit a garbage can on fire outside a California Target — and almost became a casualty of their own carelessness when the eyebrow-charring blaze swelled up a bit too quickly.
The unidentified suspect walked up to the store on Shoreline Parkway in San Rafael just before midnight, with a bag of trash and a cardboard box in-hand, according to surveillance footage released by the cops and published by CBS News.
The suspect — who wore white pants and a gray hoodie — appeared to douse the garbage can and the pavement around it with some kind of liquid accelerant.
Then the suspect tries to light the box on fire — but failed.
So they put the box inside the can, then reached inside to light it — but that sent a sunburst of flames catapulting out of the can, and almost torched the blundering firebug himself.
The subsequent fire caused about $2,500 in damage to the building.
Authorities added that the suspect might have been injured by the sudden ignition, according to CBS.
Cops are still searching for the person, who they said is still in the wind.
“Due to this serious and dangerous incident, the San Rafael Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying and locating the suspect,” cops said in a statement.
“The suspect is considered highly dangerous and should not be approached under any circumstances.”
Anyone with information about the incident or the suspect can call 415-485-3000 or report it at http://www.srpd.org/tips.