NORTH BELLE VERNON, Pa. --
Firefighters in Westmoreland County were called to a fire Monday afternoon on Green Street in North Belle Vernon.
Two occupied homes were involved in the blaze. It began in one house and spread to the other. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Residents were not home at the time, but they were in the neighborhood.
When the homeowner discovered that his house was on fire, he and his family immediately tried to save their pets. They were able to rescue one snake and several birds, but they 10 snakes did not make it out of the fire alive.
Police arrived on the scene and found the resident trying to put out the flames with a garden hose.
An officer told the man to get away from the fire and following that, he attempted to physically drag him from the premises. When that didn't work, the officer used a taser to subdue him.
Fire Chief Ken Ramsdell said, "In any type of fire or situation like that, the best thing for the homeowner to do is let the fire department come in and do their job so that no one gets hurt."
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