A large boa constrictor and two dogs were rescued from a Silver Spring, Maryland, house fire early Tuesday that started because a heater was too close to dog bedding.
Montgomery County firefighters responded to the basement fire in a single-family house in the 2800 block of Woodstock Avenue around 6:45 a.m. Tuesday, fire department spokesman Pete Piringer tweeted.
Three of the home’s human residents — two adults and one child — escaped to safety without serious injury. Meanwhile, fire and rescue crews worked to assist two big dogs and a 5-foot boa constrictor. A missing cat was later located alive by an animal control team after the fire.
Investigators blamed the fire on an electric space heater positioned too close to dog bedding in the home’s basement. The fire had no working smoke detector.
Damage is estimated at $155,000, including the building and personal belongings.
It took 50 firefighters to knock the fire out, Piringer said.
More…. (640a) Woodstock Ave, resident(s) returned home to find smoke coming from house, FFs rescued/carried 1 dog to safety, other K9 was assisted; boa constrictor reptile was ‘sheltered in place’; cat was initially missing, but located (alive) by animal control, after the fire https://t.co/cVKoWsGxpK pic.twitter.com/FUs2VrV0fm
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) February 9, 2021
WTOP’s Alejandro Alvarez contributed to this story.
