When firefighters responded to a blaze yesterday morning that spread from an electrical line to a house on Franklin Street near East Colfax Avenue, they didn’t expect they’d also be battling bedbugs. But after about three dozen firefighters spent 45 minutes taking on the flames, which were caught on film by 7News’ AirTracker 7, some of them had to be decontaminated. Denver Fire Department spokesman Phil Champagne says they were exposed to a potentially hazardous combo that had him worried: bedbugs plus “asbestos was in there, as well in the attic insulation.”

The critters had become “animated by the fire,” according to The Denver Post, which reports that some bugs “sought refuge on firefighters, latching on to equipment and gear.” As for the residence, it is “uninhabitable,” say fire officials. –