A house was burned to the ground after its owners tried to flush snakes out by lighting a fire.
The home was engulfed in flames on November 23 after the person living there tried to get rid of an infestation of slithery reptiles in Maryland, US.
They used coals as a heat source for the smoke, but put them too close to another object which sparked.
Soon the flames had spread until they swamped the entire house, Pete Piringer, chief spokesperson for the Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service, told CNN.
The snakes had plagued the homeowner's life and that of the previous tenant.
The dweller was not in when the blaze broke out, with a passing neighbour alerting the emergency services.
At around 10 pm, 75 firefighters showed up at the scene to battle the blaze.
It took a few hours for them to get the fire under control and until the following morning before it was fully out.
The blaze was a costly one, completely destroying a home that was recently bought for $1.8 million (£1.3 million).
Piringer advised people to use different methods when trying to get of snakes.
"There are animal services that can come out and make recommendations, or pest control, or an exterminator," he said.
"We recommend you have professionals deal with any pest control issue to help maintain the situation."
It is unclear whether all of the snakes have moved out.
