- Joined
- Oct 30, 2010
- Messages
- 2,410
sulcata causes fire in NYC apartment
"Troublemaking pet tortoise sparks New York apartment fire
A TROUBLEMAKING pet tortoise escaped from his terrarium in a New York bedroom and wound up sparking a fast-moving blaze that wiped out a family's apartment and injured a firefighter and three cops, the New York Post reported today.
Giovani - a basketball-sized, six-year-old African spurred tortoise, or sulcata tortoise - somehow managed to lumber out of his plastic tank in his 18-year-old owner Mohamed Salem's bedroom in Brooklyn on Sunday afternoon.
In the process, the rambunctious reptile tipped over his tank, which sent its heat lamp crashing to the floor and ignited a pile of art supplies, including paint thinner and paint, fire officials said.
Within minutes, flames tore through the third story apartment that Mohamed Salem, an art student at New York's Borough of Manhattan Community College, shared with his family.
"The flames were shooting out of the top floor," said witness Kevin Caufield, 37.
Three police officers who were nearby rushed over to look for trapped residents, not knowing that no one was home. The cops had to be treated for smoke inhalation, as did one of the more than 60 firefighters who responded to the blaze, which took a half hour to put out.
One firefighter found Giovani in the kitchen and rescued him."
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-new...k-apartment-fire/story-e6frfku0-1226026396722
"Fire Marshals Determine Cause of Brooklyn Fire ... a Tortoise
Fire marshals determined the cause of an all-hands Brooklyn fire that occurred on March 20 ... it was accidental, and anything but typical.
A tortoise knocked over the container it was in that afternoon, knocking over a heat lamp in the process. The heat lamp came into contact with art supplies, which ignited.
The fire, which was on the third floor of a residence on Fifth Avenue, was brought under control in approximately 30 minutes. Four police officers and one firefighter received minor injuries in the fire.
A turtle, which also lived in the fire apartment, perished."
http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/events/2011/032111a.shtml
Any chance he is/was a TFO member?
"Troublemaking pet tortoise sparks New York apartment fire
A TROUBLEMAKING pet tortoise escaped from his terrarium in a New York bedroom and wound up sparking a fast-moving blaze that wiped out a family's apartment and injured a firefighter and three cops, the New York Post reported today.
Giovani - a basketball-sized, six-year-old African spurred tortoise, or sulcata tortoise - somehow managed to lumber out of his plastic tank in his 18-year-old owner Mohamed Salem's bedroom in Brooklyn on Sunday afternoon.
In the process, the rambunctious reptile tipped over his tank, which sent its heat lamp crashing to the floor and ignited a pile of art supplies, including paint thinner and paint, fire officials said.
Within minutes, flames tore through the third story apartment that Mohamed Salem, an art student at New York's Borough of Manhattan Community College, shared with his family.
"The flames were shooting out of the top floor," said witness Kevin Caufield, 37.
Three police officers who were nearby rushed over to look for trapped residents, not knowing that no one was home. The cops had to be treated for smoke inhalation, as did one of the more than 60 firefighters who responded to the blaze, which took a half hour to put out.
One firefighter found Giovani in the kitchen and rescued him."
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-new...k-apartment-fire/story-e6frfku0-1226026396722
"Fire Marshals Determine Cause of Brooklyn Fire ... a Tortoise
Fire marshals determined the cause of an all-hands Brooklyn fire that occurred on March 20 ... it was accidental, and anything but typical.
A tortoise knocked over the container it was in that afternoon, knocking over a heat lamp in the process. The heat lamp came into contact with art supplies, which ignited.
The fire, which was on the third floor of a residence on Fifth Avenue, was brought under control in approximately 30 minutes. Four police officers and one firefighter received minor injuries in the fire.
A turtle, which also lived in the fire apartment, perished."
http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/events/2011/032111a.shtml
Any chance he is/was a TFO member?
