A Florida man's attempt to get rid of a mouse backfired when the rodent set his house on fire.

Luciano Mares said he caught the mouse inside his home and placed it in a pile of burning leaves, reports The Associated Press

"I had some leaves burning outside, so I threw it in the fire, and the mouse was on fire and ran back at the house," Mares said to the AP from a motel room.

Luciano Mares, 81, of Fort Sumner said he caught the mouse inside his house and wanted to get rid of it.

The burning mouse ran beneath a window of the home. The fire spread up the window to the rest of the house, said Fort Sumner village Fire Chief Juan Chavez.

Everything in the house was destroyed. There were no reported injuries.