Pet Lizard Causes Florida House Fire

MARY ESTHER, Fla.- A pet lizard is being blamed for causing a fire that severely damaged a house, killed the reptile and put a cat in an animal hospital. The blaze began after the large orange lizard, one of Lynn Robinson's many pets, escaped from its cage Wednesday in this Fort Walton Beach suburb, said state fire marshal's investigator Gary Gazillo. The lizard apparently knocked over a heat lamp atop the cage and it landed on a comforter lying on the floor. That ignited the fire that caused an estimated $20,000 in damage to the modest three-bedroom rental house, Gazillo said. Although rare, Gazillo said it wasn't the first time he has investigated a fire caused by a lizard and a heat lamp. The flames were contained in a matter of minutes to the back bedroom, said Dave Messerschmidt, a battalion chief with the Fort Walton Beach Fire Department. Robinson and her husband, David, were at work. Firefighters and neighbors rescued their two dogs, a second lizard and one of her cats, Chewy, which was treated for smoke inhalation. A second cat was missing, but firefighters said it appears the animal escaped from the burning home. The Robinsons had found Chewy after Hurricane Ivan struck the Florida Panhandle and took him in.

(AP article here)