Man Trying to Kill Pests With Gasoline Ignites 35-Acre Fire
A Camarillo man who attempted to eliminate a back-yard squirrel problem by pouring gasoline into a hole and igniting it accidently sparked a 35-acre brush fire that slightly injured two people and destroyed a neighbor’s house, the Ventura County Fire Department reported Wednesday.
The fire started behind a home at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 800 block of Mission Drive when the burning gasoline spread to nearby trees and brush. Authorities declined to identify the man who began the blaze. They said he will be billed for the cost of fighting it.
“He was trying to exterminate squirrels by pouring gasoline into a squirrel hole and igniting it,” said Paula Aliano, department spokeswoman.
The fire spread along the side of a canyon, skirting several homes before engulfing a house about half a mile from where it began, Aliano said. Two residents suffered minor injuries, including smoke inhalation, she said.
Their identities were unavailable.
About 80 firefighters extinguished the blaze by 8 p.m., Aliano said. Damage to the house and two cars was estimated at $200,000, she said.
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