Maryland homeowner burned down house trying to fight snakes

A homeowner burned down their house in Montgomery County, Maryland, when trying to battle a snake infestation with smoke. (Courtesy Montgomery County police)

A Montgomery County, Maryland, homeowner burned their house down on Nov. 23 while trying to manage a snake infestation, officials said Thursday night.

Montgomery County Fire and Rescue spokesman Pete Piringer tweeted that the owner tried using smoke from coals to fight the serpents in a house on Big Woods Road near Poolesville.



The fire broke out around 10 p.m., officials said. Piringer said 75 firefighters were called to put out the blaze. It’s believed that coals in the basement started the fire, which caused more than $1 million in damage.

There were no human injuries, Piringer said. He listed the snakes’ status as “undetermined.”

Will Vitka

William Vitka is a Digital Writer/Editor for WTOP.com. He's been in the news industry for over a decade. Before joining WTOP, he worked for CBS News, Stuff Magazine, The New York Post and wrote a variety of books—about a dozen of them, with more to come.

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