US man accidentally burns down his Rs 13.55 crores house while trying to get rid of snakes

Maryland, Dec 07: In a tragic incident, a man in the US accidentally burned to the ground by an owner trying to get rid of a snake infestation, officials said.

The incident happened on November 23 when the unnamed homeowner, who lives in Poolesville, a town about 25 miles (about 40 kilometers) outside of Washington D.C, was trying to smoke out a snake infestation in his 10,000 square feet house, , according to Montgomery County Fire Department officials.

ICYMI (Tuesday 11/23 10p) 21000blk Big Woods Rd, Dickerson/Poolesville, @mcfrs no injuries, Cause-undetermined/under investigation, >M loss, ~75FFs responded, it was dark & cold (~ 25°) NOTE: non-hydrant area, driveway 3/4 mi long off Big Woods Rd pic.twitter.com/hJ4i4Bz8nL

— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) November 26, 2021

Notably, he was quite annoyed after facing a recurring issue of snakes in his house and wanted to get rid of the reptiles.

In the process, the homeowner caught the house on fire, causing about $1 million in damage, The Washington Post reported.

Pete Piringer, a spokesman for the county fire department, said on Twitter that 75 firefighters were called to put out the blaze that started in the basement.

In a desperate attempt, he used coals to produce smoke, in hopes to purge the snakes from the house. However, he placed the coals too close to the combustible items present in his house, which led to the house catching fire, causing about $1 million in damage, The Washington Post reported. As per public records, the house was purchased recently for a whopping 1.8 million dollars. (Rs 13.57 crores).

"Homeowner using smoke to manage snake infestation, it is believed heat source (coals) too close to combustibles," spokesperson for the Montgomery County Fire Department, Pete Piringer said in an update on Twitter.

The Chief Spokesperson for the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service, Pete Piringer told CNN that the multi-storey house caught fire very quickly and the fire initiated from the basement. Thankfully, no one was home when the fire broke out, though the homeowner was there just a few hours earlier.

However, the status of snakes is not known, but looking at the condition of the house, it is assumed they are no longer in the house.