Fourth Of Oh My!
Awe-inducing and perennial crowd favorite, fireworks can be traced back as far as the seventh century and even made an appearance at America’s first annual observation of independence on July 4, 1777. Yet even from their early origins, we’ll hazard a guess colonial revelers and Chinese alchemists never thought to use the explosive merrymakers as an insect deterrent. That bright idea was born of a man from Grand Blank Township, Mich., in 2017!
What many might have considered a foudroyant salute to America’s 241st birthday on July 3, 2017, turned out to be a new lesson in the dangers of playing with fire. Homeowner Mike Tingley had recently discovered a bees’ nest in his garage and, as any well-intentioned DIY’er would rationally conclude, decided the nest was best eliminated with the application of smoke … but alas, where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire.
Crews from three fire stations responded to the blaze gone awry after a skyward explosion and rising flames sparked the neighbors’ attention. Tingley’s use of a smoke bomb manifested into the fiery collapse of his beloved garage and sent the family (no word on the bees) fleeing from their home.
“It is depressing losing a place where we had a lot of fun, but everyone is safe, and that’s the main thing,” Tingley offered local news reporters.
Fire officials confirm no one was hurt and the fire only caused damage to the garage as well as the fence beside it. It’d be understandable, however, if Tingley’s ego was a bit stung after all was said and done.
