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Bed bugs from fire station infest firefighter’s home

The department has battled bed bugs before in 2010 when seven fire stations had to be fumigated over a span of three months

SanDiego6

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — A San Diego firefighter says bed bugs from a city fire station infested his home, displacing his family for more than a week.

Exterminators traced the reddish-brown insects, which feed on human flesh, back to Fire Station 5 in Hillcrest. The city fumigated the station in August at a cost of nearly $4,000, Deputy Chief Kevin Ester said. Firefighter Ryan Creighton says the bugs ended up in his bedroom in Carlsbad, and left his wife with at least 10 bites. He has filed a claim against the city, asking to be reimbursed for more than $1,700 in fumigation costs and other expenses. The city rejected the claim last month.

“You can’t protect yourself all the time. You follow the safe practices, the guidelines that are in the fire department but instances like this happen. So there needs to be some kind of safety net,” Creighton said. The San Diego Fire Department has battled bed bugs before. The war on the pesky critters peaked in 2010 when seven fire stations had to be fumigated over a span of three months.

Full story: Bed bugs from fire station infested firefighter’s home

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