Mecklenburg County, NC -- A woman accidentally set fire to her own home Tuesday while trying to kill snakes on her front porch, according to investigators.

WSOC-TV

She said she found a nest of snakes in a couch on her porch and doused the snakes with lighter fluid.

When she threw a match on them, the couch burned and so did her house.

Howard phifer, who lives up the street, said there are a lot of snakes in this area.

"I've been in this area 45 years," Phifer said, "and that's' the most snakes I've seen since I've been here."

After the woman set the couch on fire she realized the flames were spreading, so she ran inside to call for help.

The fire then engulfed the home and she had to jump out of a window.

The woman is okay and so is her dog.

Phifer said he has an idea why snakes are slithering into his neighborhood.

"Building houses and running them out of the woods or what not," said Phifer. "All I know is they're around."