NEWMARKET ERA (Ontario) 06 December 13 16 snakes die in Newmarket house fire (Julia Le)

Sixteen snakes are dead after a fire broke out at a Newmarket home early this morning.

Central York firefighters were called to the home just after 5 a.m., after working smoke alarms alerted residents in the semi-detached home of the fire.

The occupants were able to evacuate safely, however one person was taken to Southlake Regional Health Centre for smoke inhalation.

Firefighters also discovered 18 non-venomous snakes in the home, however only two survived.

Newmarket Animal Control and the Ontario SPCA have been notified about the snakes.

Central York Fire Services deputy chief Paul Leslie says there has been extensive damage to the building, however an estimate has yet to be determined.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

http://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/4259303-16-snakes-die-in-newmarket-house-fire/



THE SUN (Toronto, Ontario) 06 December 13 Snakes killed in Newmarket house fire (Chris Doucette)

Newmarket: One person was hospitalized and more than a dozen pet snakes killed when flames tore through a home north of the city early Friday.

The blaze erupted in the bungalow on Cherrywood Dr., near Davis Dr. and Yonge St., around 5 a.m. and set off the home’s smoke detectors waking the sleeping residents, Central York Fire Services said.

“Fortunately the alarms were working because it gave the family an opportunity to get out,” Deputy Fire Chief Paul Leslie said.

“Smoke was visible” when crews arrived at the house, so the response was escalated and all on-duty firefighters raced to the scene, he said..

“Crews did an excellent job of fighting the fire and managed to contain it to the room of origin,” Leslie said, adding the flames were doused “quickly.”

One occupant of the home suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to hospital, treated and released, he said.

But the residents also informed firefighters that there were 18 snakes in the home.

“We managed to rescue two of the snakes during the response,” Leslie said. “And during the (subsequent) investigation we discovered another snake alive.”

He said another 15 snakes were killed in the blaze.

The assortment of snakes were all non-venomous, Leslie said. And the largest was three to four metres long.

“Most of them were smaller than that,” he said.

Exotic pets such as reptiles are uncommon, but not unheard of, and firefighters always do their best to save all pets from house fires, Leslie said.

“We try to protect all life whenever we can,” he said. “The first thing we have to do when we arrive at a fire is ensure the people are all out, then we suppress the fire and then try to rescue pets.”

The house sustained extensive water damage, Leslie said, adding the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/12/06/snakes-killed-in-newmarket-house-fire

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