You can't make this stuff up. State Farm recently concluded that a fire that caused $20,000 damage to an Arkansas home was caused by a dead plant. Or in insurance-speak: “The fire was caused by self-heating through decomposition of organic materials contained within a plastic flowerpot.” Translation: Spontaneous combustion.

The homeowner told the Associated Press that the flowerpot had contained dead, decomposing flowers and potting soil that his wife had planted in the summer of 2009. “She had intended on repotting (the flowers),” he said. Sadly, they sat on the porch, unwanted and unwatered, and eventually died.

What happened next was even sadder. On July 25, the plant burst into flames, burned a hole in the deck and spread to the vinyl siding. The heat caused a sidelight window next to the front door to break. But that wasn't the end of it. The air conditioning was running and the house filled with smoke. Fortunately, the homeowner’s father-in-law was able to put out the fire with a garden hose before it spread further.

In the end, according to the AP, the family had to repaint the entire interior of the 2,200-square-foot home and replace the carpeting. Outside they replaced the window, the vinyl siding and the wooden decking. Lesson learned: Water the plants and consider buying a fire extinguisher.