Authorities are blaming a garage fire in Castro Valley, Calif., on a heating pad used to keep a pair of tortoises warm.
The fire began around 3 a.m. Tuesday in a detached garage in a residential neighborhood and took about ten minutes to put out. Alameda County Fire Battalion Chief Dan O’Hara says it appears an electrical malfunction in the heating pad caused the blaze.
The two African tortoises, each about 3 feet in diameter, escaped unharmed.
A firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion at a hospital and released.
The fire caused an estimated $50,000 in damage.
Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Founder of Auto Parts Maker Charged With Fraud That Wiped Out Billions 
LA County Told to Pause $4B in Abuse Payouts as DA Probes Fraud Claims 
Charges Dropped Against ‘Poster Boy’ Contractor Accused of Insurance Fraud 
Cape Cod Faces Highest Snow Risk as New Coastal Storm Forms 
Want to stay up to date?
Get the latest insurance news
sent straight to your inbox.