A 45-year-old tortoise had to be rescued on Christmas Day after starting a fire in a UK home. The reptile knocked a heat lamp onto its bedding, and, as it was home alone, smoke spread throughout the house. Neighbours heard alarms go off in the house and alerted the fire brigade to the situation.
Firefighters managed to extinguish the fire and clear the house of smoke in 25 minutes, rescuing the tortoise from the situation. The fire service used the incident to remind the public of the importance of smoke alarms, with the home’s smoke alarm contributing to the tortoise ‘living a long and happy life.’
In their Facebook post, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service described the tortoise as looking angry, but ultimately having a lucky day.
