CLAREMONT - A man doing laundry in his apartment ignited a fire when he decided to use his microwave as a clothes dryer.

The office manager of the apartment complex in the 900 block of West Arrow Highway called Claremont police at 12:58 p.m. Monday to report the blaze.

Claremont police arrived and saw smoke coming from an apartment and a burning microwave on a lawn.

"When the microwave caught on fire, the guy actually unplugged it, picked it up, took it outside and threw it on the lawn while it was still burning," Claremont police Lt. Dennis Smith said.

At first, the man told police he was cooking some food and it caught on fire.

Then he admitted he actually tossed a jacket with a metal zipper inside the microwave.

The man did not suffer burns while handling the microwave. The apartment was not damaged, but the microwave was destroyed.

Police did not get any identifying information about the man because no crime was committed, Lt. Jon Traber said.

Residents are encouraged to exercise caution when using appliances, police said.

"Don't use appliances for things they weren't intended for," Traber said. "There's a specific purpose for a microwave and that's to cook food."