A MAN who tried to smoke out wasps from his porch set fire to his house, firefighters said.

Fire crews were called to a house in Baynes Street, Hoddlesden after a front porch of a house had caught fire at 7.50pm on Saturday.

The firefighters discovered the owner had tried to remove a nest of wasps by inserting a citronella stick into the nest to smoke them out.

However watch manager, Tony Keane, from Darwen fire station, said the nest caught fire and spread under the flat roof.

He said: "The owner of the house had been attempting to remove a wasp nest, after trying several different sprays and shop bought remedies his latest attempted to remove the wasps was by inserting a citronella stick into the cavity to smoke them out.

"Unfortunately the heat from the candle ignited the wasp nest made from a substance similar to paper.

"It quickly spread up the cavity under the flat roof and into the ceiling joist area.

"A brick from the outside had to be removed and a section of plasterboard before the extent of the wasp nest was known.

"The entire nest was removed by crews.

"The owner said he was happy to be rid of the wasp nest he was also feeling a little embarrassed by the whole episode."