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‘Angry’ tortoise blamed for Christmas house fire

A picture of a tortoise that was rescued from a house fire it allegedly started in Great Dunmow, U.K on Dec. 25, 2019. Essex County Fire & Rescue Service

Firefighters in England came to the rescue of an “angry” looking tortoise who they believe was responsible for setting its house on fire.

According to an incident report from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service, authorities were called to a home in the town of Great Dunmow on Christmas day after a neighbour heard smoke alarms going off.

After arriving, fire crews reported that the house was already filled with smoke and that a fire was alight in one of the rooms.

The tortoise had knocked over a heat lamp which then set fire to its bedding, according to a statement from the fire department.

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“This 45-year-old tortoise might look angry but it’s his lucky day. After he set his bedding alight, his neighbour heard the smoke alarm and called us,” read a tweet from the fire department’s Twitter account.

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“Our on-call crews left their families to go extinguish the fire and gave him a very merry Christmas.”

Click to play video: 'Tortoise believed to be extinct found on Galapagos islands'
Tortoise believed to be extinct found on Galapagos islands

In a post on the Essex County Fire and Rescue service Facebook page, the tortoise was identified by the name of Victor by a woman who claims to be his owner.

“His name was Victor after one foot in the grave thank you so much for all your work xxx,” wrote Facebook user Elyse Steel Sowerby.

“I honestly don’t know what I would do without him, he really is my best friend. Your team are amazing merry Christmas xxx.”

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