Bug 'extermination' results in house fire

NEW HAVEN — A man who tried to play exterminator by “smoking out” ants and beetles from his yard wound up smoking himself out instead by causing a house fire that did a lot of damage to his own apartment at 586 Whalley and some to a neighboring unit, Fire Captain Anthony Gallicchio said.

He said the tenant lit a little fire outside in the corner near the cellar area to get rid of the bugs and thought he had put it out, but the fire ignited inside the wall and traveled. Once firefighters determined where the fire was, it was out quickly, Gallicchio said.

The building has many apartment units, but the would be exterminator is the only one who had to vacate because of damage.

Gallicchio said he would not recommend the smoking out technique for getting rid of bugs