WHITMAN — No injuries were reported as the Whitman Fire Department quickly extinguished a house fire that started in a pet snake enclosure on the second floor of a home on Morgan Road Sunday night.
Whitman Fire responded to a report of a house fire at 12 Morgan Road, a two-story wood frame house at about 10:45 p.m., Sunday, July 27, according to Fire Chief Timothy Clancy, who said a faulty electrical connection was a likely cause.
The residents made it safely outside before Whitman firefighters arrived on scene. The occupants of the home advised firefighters that the fire was based in the second-floor bedroom.
Under the command of Capt. Jason Mahoney, Whitman firefighters stretched a line through the front door to the second floor, finding a small fire in a pet snake enclosure, before swiftly extinguishing the flames. The fire did not spread to any other rooms in the house.
A python was found alive in the room, and it was removed by Whitman firefighters, who returned the pet reptile to its owners.
Clancy said the snake was found “very much alive” in a corner of the same room where the fire began and a firefighter managed to get it into a cloth bag. There had been no need to call the Animal Control Officer.
Chief Clancy then called the Whitman Board of Health, the Whitman Electrical Inspector, and the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the State Fire Marshal’s Office to the scene for inspections and to assist in the investigation.
The initial investigation by the Whitman Fire Department and Massachusetts State Police determined that the occupants had been at home during the evening, when they smelled smoke and eventually discovered the fire in the second-floor bedroom. An occupant of the home attempted to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher, before closing the bedroom door and exiting the building.
Inspectors determined that the home was equipped with working smoke detectors at the time of the fire.
All Fire Department units cleared the scene by 1 a.m.
Mutual aid was provided by the East Bridgewater Fire Department, including East Bridgewater Tower 1 and Fire Chief John Dzialo; Hanson Engine 1 and Fire Chief Robert O’Brien; and Abington Engine 4. The Whitman Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Rehab Unit, Halifax Ambulance and Whitman Police also provided assistance at the scene. Rockland Engine 11 provided station coverage for the duration of the incident.
“I would like to thank everyone who helped respond to this incident and commend them for their professionalism,” Chief 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.”