How to Deal with Mold Growing on Driftwood

[Will's Reptiles]

Hi,
So tonight I was taking my boa out of his enclose and I smelled and saw mold on the driftwood that he is always curled up against. I took it out and the bottom half is speckled with grayish/blackish/whitish and yellow-green mold. I couldn't believe it! I removed it immediately along with all of the bedding (cypress mulch) underneath it. I also removed the tinfoil covering the screen section of the top of the cage. Finally I washed and scrubbed the branch in hot water.

So, now that I am done freaking out, I have some questions:

1. Is mold even harmful to snakes? I have been reading on difference threads but can't seen to get a definitive answer on wether mold will actually hurt my snake. Maybe Im worrying about nothing. After all, he was curled up right against it whenI took him out and he seems fine.

2. How can I prevent this in the future? Hopefully the increased airflow will help but let me know if you have any tips or tricks to keep mold at bay.

3. How do I get rid of the mold on the log? Like I said before, this is my snakes favorite hid spot and I would hate to throw it away. I rinsed it and will let it dry overnight. Should I bake it? If so, at what temperature and for how long?

Here are some photos of the mold on the branch.
Thanks for the help in advance!