As a result of an attempt to get rid of cockroaches, a man accidentally set fire to his furniture and himself. In the result of the resulting fire, five people, including a woman, were hospitalized. A man sitting on the couch drank alcohol, accidentally set fire to a cigarette, and tried to ignite cockroaches, which led to burning the couch and himself.
The media reported that as a result of the fire, four residential blocks were destroyed, and dozens of others suffered from water. This is not the first case where people resort to extreme measures to eliminate pests. In 2015, a woman in Detroit deliberately set fire to her apartment, trying to fight cockroaches, which led to the destruction of 48 units of housing due to flames, smoke, or water.
One of the victims was a firefighter. There is also a known case when a man in Detroit, trying to kill a cockroach, accidentally shot himself. The fire department WDIV-TV reported that a 50-year-old man attempted to kill a cockroach, leaving his boot behind, and, pulling out his pistol, accidentally shot himself.
Detroit police could not confirm whether the shooting was deliberate or accidental, but stated that the man was in stable condition after hospitalization. In January 2016, another Detroit resident received serious burns while attempting to ignite cockroaches in his apartment.