Man tries to use fireworks to take out bees' nest, burns garage down instead

GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, MI -- A Grand Blanc-area garage was reduced to a pile of ashes this evening after a homeowner attempted to use fireworks to remove a bees' nest from the building, fire officials said.

Fireworks shot into the sky from the burning garage on Monday, July 3, as crews from Grand Blanc, Burton and Mundy Township arrived at the scene on the 6000 block of Grove Avenue in Grand Blanc Township. 

"The homeowner was doing something with a smoke bomb trying to get a bees nest out of the garage," said Grand Blanc Fire Chief, Bob Burdette.

No one was injured and the fire was contained to the garage and a neighboring fence, sparing the home on the property, officials at the scene said. 

The homeowner, Mike Tingley, said that while he was saddened by the damage to his garage, he was glad it wasn't worse. 

"We really weren't going to celebrate the Fourth of July so much as we just have fun in our backyard, we like to have barbecues, we had a patio back there," said Tingley, who was home with his wife and daughter at the time of the fire. "It is depressing losing a place where we had a lot of fun, but everyone is safe and that's the main thing."