Roof collapses on ‘very large’ pet tortoise in fire. Oregon firefighters start digging

Firefighters searched through rubble of a building to save an unusual beloved pet, an Oregon fire department said.

Eugene Springfield firefighters responded Thursday to a large fire at a commercial and residential building, the department said on Facebook. The roof of the building collapsed from the flames, but there was still a victim inside: a beloved pet.

“Firefighters were able to use chainsaws and hand tools to rescue the last remaining victim, a very large tortoise,” Eugene Springfield Fire said.

The tortoise was removed from the wreckage, checked out and returned to its family, fire officials said. It was safe, but how did it survive a fire and a roof collapse?

Researchers have found that tortoises can withstand high temperatures, but their shells are not fireproof. In the wild, tortoises can survive fires by creating a deep burrow and staying inside it until the ash cools, according to Utah wildlife officials.

“This fact is undeniable, for example, that the shells of the eastern box turtle, Terrapin carolina, have shown evidence of surviving attacks from predators and even fires,” Zoo Atlanta wrote. “But the shell serves so many more functions than protection.”

This story was originally published December 18, 2020 at 11:45 AM with the headline "Roof collapses on ‘very large’ pet tortoise in fire. Oregon firefighters start digging."