Homeowner Burns Down House While Trying to Fight Snake Infestation

A home’s pest infestation quickly turned into a much larger problem.

According to ABC 7, a Maryland resident unintentionally burned their house down while trying to scare off a den of snakes. Montgomery County said the fire broke out at around 10 p.m. Nov. 23 in Poolesville, after the homeowner decided to use smoke to clear out the snakes. 

Pete Piringer, Montgomery County public information officer, shared photos of the destroyed home via Twitter on Friday, confirming the blaze had caused about $1 million in damages. Piringer said it took 75 firefighters to put out the blaze, which reportedly started in the basement. He said the homeowner created the smoke using hot coals, which likely got “too close to combustibles,” and started the fire.

The officer went on to say no one was injured in the blaze, and it is unclear if all of the snakes made it out alive.

“I’m not a wildlife expert but at the time of the fire some firefighters did see some snake skins while others found one coming out of the foundation,” Piringer said in a text message to NBC News.

He went on to say emergency personnel came across one snake at the scene, and “were able to retrieve it and move it safely to a different environment.”