Three people were hospitalized and 10 are homeless after a Cincinnati woman attempted to douse a bedbug infestation in her home with rubbing alcohol and started a house fire instead, authorities said.
The rubbing alcohol — which is extremely flammable — ignited because of a nearby open flame, according to authorities cited by the New York Post. The ensuing fire caused $250,000 in damage to the five-unit multi-family Ohio home.
Three people had to be hospitalized for smoke inhalation, according to CBS News. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening.
For now, the American Red Cross is assisting and providing housing for those displaced by the inferno, WXIX reported.
This is the second time that a rubbing-alcohol-fueled fire has burned down a Cincinnati house in as many months. Just after Thanksgiving, a 19-year-old lit a match after dousing a bedbug in rubbing alcohol, causing a fire that did $300,000 in damage to six apartments and left eight people homeless.
Cincinnati District 3 Fire Chief Randy Freel told WXIX that people should stay away from any home remedies for bedbugs, especially the more flammable kinds.
“Get a professional,” he said.
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