A Cincinnati woman burned down a leaving three injured and 10 homeless in an attempt to quell a rising bed bug insurgency.
Though the injuries sustained are not considered life-threatening, the damages certainly are serious enough to warrant an inquiry into why the fire started in the first place.
According to CBS News, the woman tried to kill the bed bugs with rubbing alcohol near an open flame.
It is certainly understandable that someone would try to terminate these nasty pests, especially considering females can lay 200 eggs in their life cycle. One might wonder, however, if this mistake could have been avoided.
Though it could have been avoided, this bizarre situation is more common than you’d think. According to Fox 19, a local Ohio news outlet, this is the second fire caused by an attempt to eliminate bedbugs in two weeks.
Responsible home ownership, it seems, is not the most polished skill for these two individuals. Had they had access to a hose, which costs very little and can last five to 10 years, both of these tragic fires might have been prevented.
Hindsight is 20/20 of course, and once the dust settles for the residents of these homes, they will likely begin to view fire safety more seriously. One of the residents of the Cincinnati home was caught off guard when a call came in informing him of the fire.
A day after internalizing the damage, Kamaron Lyshe said, “I’m kind of dealing with it now. I’ll start from scratch. It’s like a dream….everything is burnt. I’ll start fresh. It’s all we can do now.”
The words ring true for everyone who has suffered from property loss on a large scale. From rampant wildfires in California to increased flooding nationwide, property damage and loss is a real problem.
Fortunately for homeowners, a lot is known about best fire and flood prevention practices. Smoke alarms, flammable material mindfulness, and safe wiring are all integral to fire prevention. For flood prevention, regularly cleaning the gutters is the number one way to prevent flooding during heavy rain.
Natural disasters happen, and sometimes there’s little you can do. For situations that can be prevented with better education on best safety protocol, like the bedbug burning in Cincinnati, homeowners should certainly be prepared.
