Pasco County Fire Station #13 located on Dayflower Blvd. in Zephyrhills is closed temporarily because of a bed bug problem at the facility.

Pasco County Public Information Officer Doug Tobin said the bed bugs were first reported May 14. He said the county tried to use a pesticide treatment to try and get rid of them.

Tobin said they haven't found any live bed bugs since the last pesticide treatment but he said two employees reported being bitten. As a result of that, the county is trying a different kind of heat treatment to kill any new bugs and their eggs.

"I understand they can be very difficult to eradicate," said Tobin. "We've already had a number of chemical treatments. Unfortunately, that hasn't eradicated them as far as the employees are concerned."

Tobin said the county doesn't know how the bed bugs got into the building and they're investigating to make sure the problem didn't spread.

"Initially we thought it was just confined to the bunk area but since we've had a couple employees get bug bites we think it may have gotten beyond that. We're going to let the exterminator take a look at it," said Tobin.

Some employees were sleeping in the kitchen floor but now the building is being completely closed.

The dumpster outside of the facility is full of bedding and furniture that's being thrown out.

"It's kind of shocking," said Michael Alicea who lives next door to the fire station.

Alicea said firefighters helped him several times with a sick relative so he's upset to the see the facility closed, even temporarily.

"One time we came home from the doctors office and they came over here and helped him up the stairs before we got railings. He fell down in the bathroom one time and I couldn't pick him up because he was real big and they came over and picked him up. Another time, his blood sugar shot up like crazy and they were able to get over here in seconds to get him to the hospital," Alicea said.

County officials aren't sure how long the eradication process will take or how long the fire station will be closed.

Tobin said this does not mean that residents in the area will be without fire service.

Some of the crews are working out of a hotel that's within Station 13's service area.

Others are working out of nearby fire stations until the bed bug problem is resolved.