Pet snake enclosure sparks fire inside home
By Matt Schooley
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WHITMAN, Massachusetts (WBZ) — A fire at a home in Whitman, Massachusetts started in a pet snake enclosure, fire investigators said.
It happened around 10:45 p.m. on Sunday at a 2-story house on Morgan Road.
Everyone in the home was able to safely escape without injury.
The residents told firefighters that the flames started in a second-floor bedroom.
Whitman firefighters brought a hose through the front door and up the stairs, where they found a small fire in a pet snake’s enclosure. Whitman Fire Chief Timothy Clancy said the fire was extinguished “swiftly” and did not spread to any other rooms.
Once the fire was out, a python was found alive in the room. Firefighters removed it from the house and returned the snake to its owners.
The Whitman Board of Health, electrical inspector, and Massachusetts State Police all responded to the home to investigate the fire.
Inspectors found that the home had working smoke detectors. Once the residents smelled smoke, they found the fire upstairs. When they were unable to extinguish the fire on their own, the residents closed the bedroom door and went outside.
“I would like to thank everyone who helped respond to this incident and commend them for their professionalism,” Clancy said. “We’re glad that no one was hurt as a result of this fire, including the pet snake. We were able to quickly put out the flames before they spread elsewhere throughout the house, preventing further damage to the property, which is always good news.”
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