LYNDEN - A Lynden man dumped gasoline on a beehive that was in a tree and then ignited it Sunday night, Aug. 28, causing an explosion in the suburban neighborhood that could be seen from a few hundred feet away.

The man lit the hive on fire about 8:30 p.m. in retaliation for a bee sting one of his friends got earlier that day at the house on Twin Sister Loop, said Lynden Fire Chief Gary Baar.

The fire caused a large "whoosh" and singed the tree pretty badly, Baar said, but nobody was hurt. There were no flames when firefighters arrived about 10 minutes later.

"No damage, except for a bunch of dead bees," Baar said. "The correct way to do that is to call a beekeeper."

Firefighters explained that to the homeowner, but it doesn't appear he'll be cited.

A waitress at the nearby Homestead Golf & Country Club called the fire department soon after the explosion to report it, Baar said.