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Ill. man sets apartment fire to smoke out squirrels

Man set off a smoke bomb in his building’s gutter to get rid of squirrels in the walls

By Casey Toner
The Chicago Sun-Times

RICHTON PARK, Ill. — A Richton Park man says he accidentally set his apartment building ablaze while attempting to smoke out squirrels in the walls.

Robert Hughes said he set off a smoke bomb in his building’s gutter.

“It sounded like a whole family of squirrels living in the house,” Hughes said. “It was kind of nerve wracking.”

Firefighters responded to the blaze about 10 a.m. Tuesday at 3062 Euclid Lane in Richton Park, deputy chief Rodney Wilson said.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze within minutes.

There were no reported injuries, but the apartments were badly damaged.

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