Home Alone: ‘Angry’ Tortoise Starts House Fire, Rescued After Smoke Alarm Goes Off

A 45-year-old "angry-looking" pet tortoise was rescued from a house fire Wednesday in Uttlesford, Essex, England.

When the residents left it home alone, the reptile toppled a heat lamp onto its bedding which led to the fire on Christmas day.

"The fire started after the tortoise knocked a heat lamp onto its bedding, which then caught alight,” Essex Fire and Rescue, said in a statement.

The smoke alarm rang immediately after the fire started prompting the neighbors to run down to the house where they found chunks of smoke filling the house. Firefighters responded to the scene at around 11:30 a.m. EST and doused the fire within 25 minutes, according to BBC.

Gary Wain, watch manager of the Great Dunmow Fire Station, highlighted the importance of installing fire alarm systems in homes.

"This incident shows just how important it is to have smoke alarms on every level of your home,” he said. “Even if you're not home they will alert anyone close by to the first sign of fire.”

In a similar instance, a pet dog in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, on Dec. 3 had sparked a house fire when it managed to turn the microwave which had a packet of bread rolls placed inside. The dog was left all by itself in the house and the owner was alerted by a mobile phone app as soon as the fire broke out.