Styrian man burns down garden shed and meadow while trying to smoke out a wasp nest

The Pöllau Volunteer Fire Department was alerted on Saturday afternoon and dispatched with several emergency personnel. The responders managed to extinguish the fire and prevent the flames from spreading to adjacent properties.

At the time of the incident, no other persons were in immediate danger according to current findings. The 60-year-old himself remained uninjured according to initial information, but was questioned on site.

The exact amount of damage to the garden shed and the vegetation was initially unclear. Since the shed was made of wood, the emergency personnel assumed it to be a total loss.

Investigation into the Cause of the Fire

Police have launched an investigation into the exact cause of the fire. At the center of the inquiry is the question of how the use of gasoline near the wasp nest could have produced such flames.

The fire department pointed out again in this context that smoking out or removing wasp nests with flammable liquids is extremely dangerous. The vapors of the gasoline can ignite suddenly and trigger an explosive fire.

Dangers of Smoking Out Wasp Nests

Nature conservation also plays a role in such cases: ground wasps are under special protection, and the unauthorized removal or killing of the nests is generally not permitted. The responsible district authority can examine whether a violation of nature conservation regulations has also occurred in this case.

Residents in rural regions such as the district of Hartberg-Fürstenfeld are repeatedly confronted with wasp infestations, especially during the summer months, according to the emergency personnel. Experts recommend consulting specialist companies or the local fire department when experiencing problems with wasp nests, rather than improvising on one's own.

The Pöllau Volunteer Fire Department issued a warning after the operation: anyone who wishes to have a wasp nest removed should leave this exclusively to trained personnel. Taking matters into one's own hands with gasoline, open flames, or other fire accelerants can quickly lead to uncontrollable fires.