It's a trick known to almost every kid who has been to school camp, but as it turns out, a homemade flame thrower can have some real world applications.

Two men with what appeared to be firearms tried to rob a store in Queensland's Alexandra Hills at 6:30 a.m. local time Saturday, Queensland Police told Mashable Australia. Not taking that lying down, store owner Dan Rigney took up the weapons available to him to defend his shop: fly spray and a cigarette lighter. In other words, a makeshift flame thrower.

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The fiery surprise made the robbers temporarily retreat and stumble, as the security footage obtained by Nine News shows, before moving around to ransack the till and allowing Rigney a moment to escape. According to the outlet, they made off with A$680 (US$481), which doesn't seem like much after being embarrassed by a can of pressurised insect repellant.

Kudos to Rigney for his quick thinking. As a customer told the Nine News reporter, "I wouldn't like to cross him, that's for sure."

Queensland Police said no one was injured and investigations are continuing.