Pet Tortoise Narrowly Escapes Hutch Fire
Incident Date:
02/13/2026
Location:
Fullerton, CA - USA
Facility Name:
Facility Type:
Exotic Pet (E)
Incident Category:
Escape of animal (EA)
Species:
Reptiles
Animal:
Tortoise
Animal disposition:
Recaptured
Summary:
FULLERTON, CA – A California family’s pet tortoise escaped just fast enough to avoid a massive shed fire that broke out when a heat lamp tipped over. Leo, a 3-year-old female tortoise, was dozing inside her pen at a Fullerton home while her owners were at a Super Bowl LX party Sunday night.
When the heat lamp tipped over, a fire started, while Leo appeared to be sleeping on the pet camera near the enclosure. Moments later, Leo luckily made an escape into the yard. Their neighbors extinguished the fire. Leo was later found hiding in a bush nearby. The medical team confirmed that Leo had “some inflammation in her bronchioles” and is undergoing daily saline breathing treatments.
Action take by Born Free USA:
Notes: