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Methuen fire kills resident and "significant number" of snakes, birds

By
Neal Riley
Digital Producer, CBS Boston
Neal J. Riley is a digital producer for CBS Boston. He has been with WBZ-TV since 2014. His work has appeared in The Boston Globe and The San Francisco Chronicle. Neal is a graduate of Boston University.
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Neal Riley

/ CBS Boston

An early morning fire in a Methuen, Massachusetts home killed one man and also left a "significant number" of snakes and birds dead, the state fire marshal's office said.

Firefighters responded to a single family home on Atkinson Street at about 2:20 a.m. for a report of smoke. They tried to get inside "but encountered heavy fire and were blocked by heavy clutter," and moved to protect nearby homes from the flames, Department of Fire Services spokesperson Jake Wark said.

Three people escape Methuen fire

Three people were able to escape the home, but one man was found dead inside along with the birds and snakes. The medical examiner will determine the cause and manner of his death. The man's name has not yet been released.

"On behalf of the Methuen Fire Department, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to the family," Methuen Fire Chief David Toto said in a statement. "They lost a loved one and their home. This is a very sad day for them and the community."

"Catastrophic" damage

It took crews more than four hours to put out the flames at the home, which firefighters said sustained "catastrophic" damage. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Footage from WBZ-TV's helicopter showed the extent of the damage to the burned-out home.

methuen-fire.jpg
The house fire that killed a man as well as snakes and birds in Methuen. CBS Boston

The four-bedroom ranch-style home was built in 1964, and the property is valued at about $621,000, town records show. Methuen is a city in Essex County about 30 miles northwest of Boston. 

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