As far as cures go this was definitely worse than the disease!
A Maryland man accidentally burned his own home to the ground while trying to rid it of a snake infestation.
The homeowner in Poolesville, 25 miles northwest of Washington D.C., was attempting to use smoke to evict his slithery squatters when disaster struck, according to Montgomery County Fire Department officials.
The blaze broke out around 10 p.m. on November 23 although its unusual cause was only revealed last Thursday.
The homeowner – who, mercifully, was not identified – set up the smoke devices that day before leaving the house around 8 p.m., The Washington Post reported. Two hours later, a neighbor spotted flames and called the fire department.
The inferno ended up causing around $1 million in damage, according to the newspaper.
75 firefighters were called to tackle the blaze, which started in the basement, county fire department spokesman Pete Piringer said on Twitter.
No one was injured in the accidental fire, caused by placing coals too close to combustible material, Piringer noted in the post – though he added that the snakes’ well-being was “undetermined.”