Man Burns Down Home In Attempt To Remove Skunks

FERNDALE (WWJ/AP) - A man who was just trying to get some skunks to leave him alone ended up burning down the rental home where he was living in Ferndale.

The man told investigators he had enough with the skunks, who made a home in his crawlspace, and was attempting to drive them out with a smoke bomb when things went awry.

The bomb triggered a fire that spread through the crawlspace and onto the first floor of the home, on W. Webster near Edgewood Place.

The fire was burning for roughly 15 minutes before the man called 911 for help, the Detroit Free Press reported. The fire eventually spread up through the walls of the home and to the attic. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, but flames were going through the roof. The home is a total loss.

The skunks appear to have run away before the flames consumed the home, as no carcasses were found at the scene.

If residents have issues with pests or rodents, Ferndale Fire Chief Kevin Sullivan suggests hiring professionals to deal with the problem.

"However if one is an absolute die-hard do-it-yourselfer, please read and understand the directions and warning labels before applying an incendiary (smoke bomb) to your home or garage," Sullivan told the newspaper.

A responding firefighter had a sprain, but no other injuries were reported.

© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.