Escaped Snake Knocks Over Heat Lamp, Causes Fire at Forest Middle School

FOREST, Va. — An escaped snake knocked over a heat lamp and sparked an overnight fire at Forest Middle School, according to the Bedford County Fire Marshal’s Office.

The fire was ruled accidental.

The Bedford 911 Communications Center received a fire alarm from the school at 12:31 a.m. Firefighters with the arrived at 12:45 a.m. and found water flowing from the second floor, visible flames and smoke coming from second-floor windows.

The incident was upgraded to a structure fire, prompting additional local agencies to respond.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze and located the eight-foot python, which was safely returned to a temporary enclosure. Crews then conducted overhaul operations inside the school, checking for hot spots and making sure no additional fire hazards remained.

Despite the unusual incident, the fire is not expected to disrupt the beginning of the school year.

Bedford County Public Schools said the incident will not affect the start of school next week for Forest Middle School students.

Responding agencies included:

• Forest Fire Department
• Bedford Fire Department
• Brookville-Timberlake Fire Department
• Boonsboro Fire Department
• Lynchburg Fire Department
• Bedford County Fire & Rescue
• Bedford County Fire Marshal's Office
• Bedford County Sheriff's Office
• Bedford County Public Schools
• Bedford County Building Inspections Division