Tortoise has lucky escape from Portsmouth house fire after being saved by 'hero' firefighters

‘Quick actions’ from Southsea firefighters prevented ‘significant escalation’ when they raced to the property in Chetwynd Road at around 6.30pm on Monday evening.

Crews had been alerted to the incident by a neighbour after the smoke alarm did not go off.

After arriving at the house, which was empty due to the homeowner being abroad, firefighter Bill Cutler discovered the stricken tortoise.

A Southsea firefighter said: ‘There was a little fire at the back of the house. The neighbours saw the smoke but the alarm did not go off.

‘The tortoise was saved and was absolutely fine - it was poking its head out as if to say “I’m ok” before going back into its shell.

‘The tortoise is now staying with the neighbour until the homeowner returns from being abroad.

‘Luckily it had a happy ending and everything went smoothly. Everyone came back a hero and the tortoise was happy.’

Speaking of the importance of having a working smoke alarm, he added: ‘It’s important people check their smoke alarms regularly to make sure they are working. They save lives.’

A post from Southsea Fire Station on Twitter said: ‘White Watch have returned from a domestic fire in Southsea. Quick actions from the crews prevented significant escalation.

‘Luckily the neighbours raised the alarm. Remember to test your smoke alarm regularly.’

SEE ALSO: Huge demand for charity’s help

Two breathing apparatus and one hose reel jet were used to extinguish the fire that was caused by a heat lamp.