Arcing is a long standing plasma–surface interaction issue in nuclear fusion research, and the issue has been revived recently from new points of view. In this study, arcing under fusion relevant conditions is demonstrated in a linear plasma device using a pulsed laser to mimic the transient heat load. Ignition conditions of arcing were investigated systematically by changing the laser power, plasma conditions, surface nature and so on. Moreover, the cross-sectional view of arc trail was observed by transmission electron microscope, and the erosion of nanostructured tungsten due to arcing was estimated. It was found that more than half of the nanostructured tungsten still remained after an arc spot run on the nanostructure.