They were heating up a frozen pizza - and a snake

WAKE FORREST, N.C. (AP) — A couple in North Carolina say they popped a frozen pizza into the oven only to discover that a snake was burning inside about 10 minutes later.

Amber Helm told the Raleigh News & Observer Wednesday that her family had hoped to have an easy dinner on Monday night in Wake Forrest.

But Helm said the oven started smoking and smelling terrible as they waited for their pizza to cook.

“I opened up the oven and thought ‘is that part of the oven?’ I looked more closely and it was a snake,’” she said.

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She said she left the pizza behind and took her young sons out to eat. Her husband stayed behind to deal with the snake.

“I put the oven on self clean after I pulled that crispy critter out,” Robert Helm said.

The snake was about 18 inches long and the diameter of a quarter.

The Helms said their oven had been snake free when they baked a ham on Christmas.

Their worry now is how the snake got into the house.

“I have two little boys so I’m just so concerned,” Amber Helm said. “Every time I see a shadow I’m like freaking out.”