Man tries to burn beehive but starts a grass fire instead
BATTLE GROUND, Wash. - A man who was trying to burn a beehive ended up starting a grass fire that took off.
The fire broke out around 1:45 p.m. Friday in the 7400 block of N.E. 239th Street in Battle Ground.
According to Clark County Fire & Rescue, a man was lighting carburetor fluid on fire to try to burn an underground beehive and the fire quickly spread along the ground and then to two large warehouses.
Fire crews put out a call for two alarms as a precaution but were able to get the blaze under control fairly quickly. There was only minor damage to the buildings.
NO BURNING
Clark County has a burn ban in effect and what happened illustrates why they do not want folks doing any burning right now. Here is the burn ban notice the county sent out earlier this week:
With wildfires raging in Washington and other western states, and local temperatures soaring, Clark County Fire Marshal Jon Dunaway is reminding residents that all residential burning from land clearing is restricted until further notice.
Burn bans took effect for private property in both Clark and Cowlitz counties on July 15. They are scheduled to remain in place until Sept. 30 or later, depending on weather conditions and fire hazards. The Washington Department of Natural Resources put a burn ban in place July 1 for property managed by that agency.
Dunaway said the National Fire Protection Association recommends some simple measures that do not require power tools to reduce fire dangers. These include:
- Clear leaves and other debris from gutters, eaves, porches and decks. This could prevent embers from igniting your home or other structures.
- Water and maintain lawns.
- Dispose of debris and lawn cuttings.
"These are short-term tactics that can reduce anybody's risk," he said. "In general, we also encourage property owners to have a long-term plan for prevention. That's something they should implement when weather allows them to complete the necessary activities."
The Fire Marshal and emergency managers also recommend a personal evacuation plan. Identify and gather priority items to take if you have to evacuate on short notice, and make sure family members know where to reunite if they are separated and unable to return home.
For more information, please contact the Fire Marshal's Office at (360) 397-2186 or visit the county's website.
"carburetor fluid"You mean gasoline?
"Clark County has a burn ban in effect"Â Â I think I will have a nice campfire tonight because I am a free man and dont take orders from the fascist government.
 @Ol'Ironhead OK. But if you they end up finding your charbroiled carcass tomorrow, don't go complaining about it. :-P
Honey bee's live in hives, yellow jackets, wasps, hornets etc. live in nests.
 @Scotty9 Maybe it was one of those newfangled subterranean hives you see in all the real estate rags. All the amenities, but the cost....woohoo! ;-)
Duh. Everyone knows that you don't use carburetor fluid or gasoline to burn a beehive. You use nucular weapons for that!
Common sense would have had him wait until it was cooler, wetter and after dark. The pests are out flying around during the day. Not a good idea all in all. Just lucky he did not start a major fire that would have affected other peoples houses / property.
Hoefully he learns from this event...
Let's start a fire in 100 degree heat on parched ground with lots of dead flammable grass. Yeah, that's the ticket! Kinda like watering the lawn during a flood.
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Have any of these idiots thought about insecticide?
 @I812 Or a bucket of soapy water. Liquid dish soap is good as it sticks to the insect's body preventing it from breathing and they die of suffocation.
I don't know of ANY insecticides that will work effectively on underground nests. Gasoline works best -Â I have a nest that I need to take care of, also, but I'm not going to light it up. I'm waiting for cooler weather, then I'll just dump some old gas down the hole and cover it up. The fumes do the trick nicely!
 @I812 How about a substance that would not spontaneously combust but would be effective with the bees/wasps/yellow jackets? Being the 'seeds and twigs' organic sort, I was thinking some veggie based oil would work and not just go up in flames.
@Cindy B. There are many insecticides that are made from natural organic plant-based ingredients.Â
 @I812  @Cindy Like all of Monstanto's toxic crap.Â
i can just see a couple of good ol boys pouring two gallons of gas into a hole and lighting it. brings back memories of Caddyshack
Are you sure it was bees and not yellowjackets? I've never heard of bees building underground hives.
I had never thought of that before. That there would be a difference but there is. So I looked it up. Yellowjackets are actually wasps.
I learned one today. Thanks Old29
Actually, they're hornets, not wasps. But the fact is that yellowjackets normally build underground in old mouse holes. Wasps and hornets build paper or mud nests aboveground, and honeybees like old hollow trees and limbs for their nests.
 @Fronk I learned that last month! Pretty cool huh! Well, that's a manner of speaking... I read that if you 'inflate' a crumpled brown paper bag they will leave you alone. Something about wasps being very territorial and if they see what appears to be another hive they'll move on. Though that confuses me about above vs underground...
I wish it was 100 degrees every day. Well maybe 85 every day would be better.
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 @Knud Rasmussen I agree! We left yesterday to escape the 100+ and go to the coast which said it'd be pushing 80. Boy were they wrong. It hit 64 and I was freezing. Bought a family 4 pack of sweatshirts, stayed the night in a cheap hotel and came back to the warmth. I'll take 85 everyday!
You must be transplanted Californians!! Or else you don't work outside for a living. I'd take the 64 degree weather and really enjoy it more than this 100 degree stuff!! I end up working from about 6:00 AM to noon or early afternoon, then take the rest of the day off to chill out!
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