45-year-old tortoise rescued after starting house fire on Christmas Day in UK

A 45-year old tortoise was rescued by emergency services after he managed to start a house fire on Christmas day. The 'angry' looking reptile had knocked over a lamp and set his bedding on fire which caused the smoke alarms to go off. The smoke alarms alerted the neighbours who then came to check on the sound and found a fire.

'Angry' tortoise rescued

After alerting the firefighters of the fire near Uttlesford, Essex the firefighters were able to quickly put out the fire and clear the house of smoke by 4:50pm. After the incident, Essex Fire and Rescue Service posted a picture of the tortoise who looked highly unimpressed to be brought out in the cold but was nevertheless very lucky to have been rescued. The watch manager at Great Dunmow Fire Station, Gary Wain said that this incident shows how important it is for people to have smoke alarms because even if they are not at home, those can be alerted to a possible fire.

In related news, nearly 245 homes were destroyed in the recent forest fire in the Chilean port city of Valparaiso where 700 people were left homeless in the low-income area. The fire that originated from the hills of Rocuant and San Roque spread through the entire neighbourhood on Christmas Eve.

Read: West Bengal: Two Women Arrested For Tortoise Smuggling

Read: Heartwarming Video Shows Baby Elephant Helping Tortoise Cross The Road

The blaze was so massive that the Valparaiso fire department sought help from the neighbouring fire fighting units to contain the fire. Helicopters poured thousands of gallons of water on the site on December 25. Chilean President Sebastian Pinera while visiting the affected areas on Thursday said that the authorities have enough evidence to conclude that the fire was started deliberately.

Interior Minister Gonzalo Blumel said that the police are looking into the video evidence they have acquired from social media. In the video, a car can be seen parked near the place where the fire first started. Local residents also confirmed that a car was parked in the hills just before the fire started. 

Read: Two Arrested In Connection With Illegal Smuggling Of Tortoise

Read: China: Zoo Glues Basket To Tortoise's Back For Tourists To Throw Money