METHUEN, Mass. — Up to 60 snakes were found dead in the basement of a Merrimack Valley home following a fire on Tuesday that also claimed a man’s life, authorities said.
Firefighters responding to a report of smoke in a building at 38 Atkinson Street in Methuen just before 2:30 a.m. found flames coming from the single-family home, according to the Methuen Fire Department.
Methuen Fire Chief David Toto said crews tried to enter the home, but they encountered intense flames and were blocked by clutter, forcing them into defensive operations to protect nearby homes.
Crews battled the blaze for more than four hours before finding a man dead inside the home, along with 40 to 60 pythons and boa constrictors that had perished in their cages, according to the fire department. The man’s name hasn’t been released.
Officials noted that three other people were able to escape to safety.
The home was deemed a total loss.
“I know that they had dogs, cats, snakes, they had a raven and they had chickens and roosters in the backyard,” said Kalleigh O’Carroll, who lives across the street.
The deputy fire chief told Boston 25 News the snakes were kept in cages in the basement, and that’s where they believe the fire started.
“Very nice, very nice guy, he was very intelligent very smart,” said O’Carroll, who knew the man who died. “He would come over in the summer a lot talking with my mom and my sister about like the pets, his wife would walk the street with like the dogs, he would walk the street with his snakes. He would like wrap it around his neck almost like a scarf.”
She says it’s devastating to now look at their home burned to pieces after losing one of their neighbors.
“Very tragic and my prayers go out to the rest of his family that are still here with us,” said O’Carroll.
Fire crews say the cause of the fire is still under investigation and the man who died has not been publicly identified yet.
“On behalf of the Methuen Fire Department, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to the family,” Toto said in a statement. “They lost a loved one and their home. This is a very sad day for them and the community.”
The Methuen police and fire departments, the state fire marshal’s office, and state police detectives assigned to the Essex District Attorney’s Office are investigating the blaze.
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