A 31-year-old Pontiac woman was hospitalized Tuesday with second degree burns after trying to eradicate bed bugs in her car.
The Oakland County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the 1200 block of Perry Street in Pontiac at around 1:39 p.m. Tuesday to assist the Waterford Regional Fire Department in a vehicle fire.
The woman reportedly had a panic attack because she had bed bugs in her vehicle, according to a report of a serious incident by the Oakland County Sheriff. The woman decided to kill the bed bugs by pouring alcohol in the vehicle and setting it on fire. She accidentally set herself on fire. She was later taken to McLaren Oakland Hospital for treatment for a second degree burn.
In 2016, a Detroit man accidentally set his apartment on fire after dousing himself and his couch with alcohol to kill bed bugs. The fire destroyed about four units and caused water damage in two dozen more when it was extinguished.
Another woman set her home on fire in 2015 after her stove and stove ignited fumes from the alcohol she sprayed herself and poured on her floor to try to kill the bugs.
While bed bugs don’t transmit disease, their bites can cause itchy skin reactions. Signs of bed bug infestation include live or dead bugs, empty skins that are shed during their life cycle, eggs, and droppings stains or droppings.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Michigan State University Extension have created a guide to fighting bed bugs in your home.
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MDHHS recommends vacuuming, washing surfaces and furniture with soap and water, steam cleaning, and treating with insecticides to remove bed bugs. It encourages individuals to hire a pest controller if they can afford it, and follow the instructions on. to obey
The MDHHS also advises against applying insecticides to the skin as it is ineffective and harmful to health. For more resources on reporting and managing a bed bug infestation, visit Michigan.gov/bedbugs.
Contact Breaking News Intern Kyle Davidson: kdavidson@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @jrndavidson.
