A man in Maryland accidentally set fire to his house because he believed he could chase snakes away with smoke.
Montgomery County's fire department spokesman Pete Piringer tweeted Friday that it was believed that the charcoal ignited by the homeowner to create smoke in the basement was too close to combustible materials.
The house was completely destroyed in the major fire that followed, on November 23rd.
People were not injured.
75 firefighters were busy extinguishing the fire.
Piringer told the Washington Post that the snakes were probably - non-poisonous - peanuts.
There were probably countless of them in the house.
But only the remains of a snake were discovered in the ashes.
Another snake was found alive.
“It came out of the foundation,” said Piringer.
The reptile was caught and released in the nearby forest.
The remaining snakes are dead, hidden under the rubble, or have run away.
According to the information, it is not uncommon for snakes to nestle in the basement, especially in cold winters.
Experts advise against smoking snakes
Emily Taylor, a professor at California's Polytechnic University, told the Washington Post that while snakes have a keen sense of smell, given the cold temperatures in Maryland, the smoke probably wouldn't have made the snakes move too much because they were essentially inside one Would have found a state of deep calm.
"You will have been very sluggish," said Taylor.
Zoology expert John Kleopfer said snakes used their tongues to smell.
If they smelled smoke, they tried to go into hiding or to flee.
But this is only temporary.
"They'll be back." He's never heard of anyone trying to smoke out snakes in a house.
He doesn't recommend that.
Wildlife biologist Dan Rauch told the newspaper, "I definitely recommend something different for dealing with snakes - start with calling a professional."