Firefighter crew were battling a brush fire near the Appalachian Trail in the western Connecticut, when they came across another threat - rattlesnakes.

According to reports, the blaze burned about 200 acres of rugged terrain of Schaghticoke Mountain in Kent.

Chief Alan Gawel of Kent Volunteer Fire said the fire disturbed dens of the timber rattlers and dozens of snakes were spotted fleeing the heat, including one that slithered between the legs of a crew member on Thursday.

"As you are trying to create a fire line in the rocks, boom, there's a snake," he said. "It's a real battle, not to mention what it does to your nerves."

At least 17 fire department crew members battled to control the fire and one had been bitten. Authorities alerted the nearby hospitals to make sure that they have anti-venom.

Because the it was a wilderness fire, and the firefighters were not wearing typical heavy turnout gear and had no protection from snake strikes.

A spokesperson for the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, Dennis Schain said that while there is a large population of snakes in the region, they typically steer clear of humans, but would pose a danger if someone stepped on or made to feel threatened.

"They have been in these pockets of Connecticut for a long time, and hardly anybody ever sees them," he said.

Once the fire is controlled, the state wildlife experts will go in looking to rescue any injured snakes. The injured snakes then would be brought to the Roger Williams Zoo in Rhode Island to be rehabilitated.

He added that the fire should not pose any permanent threat to the snake population in the region. As Connecticut ins home to just two venomous types snakes. The timber rattlesnake and the northern copperhead.

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