Snakes in the attic! Fire yields slithery surprise

HAYFIELD, Va. - A slithery surprise awaited firefighters responding to a smoky house fire Thursday morning.

Dozens of snakes, scorpions, lizards and other reptiles were trapped in an attic after a fire broke out at a home in the 5700 block of Shropshire Court around 8:40 a.m.

Five people inside the home got out safely. But 30 snakes died, officials say.

Zachary Frodge, who was breeding the snakes and other animals for sale, looked dejected as he described his menagerie.

"I had 35 snakes, seven scorpions, five lizards," Frodge said.

Two snakes that survived the blaze were in a cage on the front lawn as firefighters cleaned up the scene.

Fairfax County Fire Department spokesman Dan Schmidt says they were able to knock down the fire relatively quickly once they knew more about the snakes.

"The one thing we really wanted to know was if the snakes were poisonous or not," Schmidt says.

Non-poisonous ball pythons, corn snakes, rat snakes, Columbia red tail boa constrictors, bearded dragons and a green iguana were among the animals killed, Frodge says.

Damage to the home, which is in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County, was extensive.

Officials say the accidental fire was caused by an extension cord. Damage is estimated at $90,000.

The fire began in an upstairs bedroom.

Fairfax County's animal control officer was also on the scene. It's not clear if Frodge will face any legal problems because of the reptiles.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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