BARRIE, Ont. — A man accidentally set his house on fire while trying to rid his home of bees.

Authorities say the man was trying to light a bees' nest on fire Wednesday night and some sparks caught on the house.

An off-duty Barrie police officer saw the man was in distress and ran to help. He grabbed a garden hose and tried to douse the fire, and a neighbour, a retired firefighter, arrived at the house with a fire extinguisher.

"We've had calls in the past week regarding insect nests and there's been poor judgment on the part of those trying to get rid of them," said deputy fire chief Rick Monkman.

The fire was brought under control by the time on-duty firefighters arrived on scene.

The homeowner was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Monkman said residents should refrain from trying to burn nests.

"They should either use the proper agent to rid the area of insects or call an exterminator," he said. "If they aren't sure what to do, they should leave it to the experts."