UPDATE: When South Walton Fire District Firefighters responded to the Santa Rosa Beach home off E. Hewett Road, it was covered in flames.
Not only were they faced with trying to extinguish the fire, but to also keep it from spreading to the home next door.
“Damage is significant. The house involved had a floor collapse. It has several walls missing. And then the house next door had several windows that were broken and some damage inside,” South Walton Fire District Chief John Adams said.
Firefighters were able to bring the flames under control within about 30 minutes.
“The crews worked hard, we got several hose lines extended, got water on the fire quickly to get it knocked down,” Adams said.
The home was actually being renovated, so firefighters say it was empty at the time. But the property was not vacant.
“There was a 100 pound tortoise named Frank who was in the backyard. The crews were able to rescue him and bring him out front. And then the sheriff’s officers were able to get him into the vehicle of the owner,” Adams said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
“We have our fire marshal out. And then we’ve also requested the state fire marshal to come out and assist with the investigation. So they’re working through that right now. And they should have a cause at some point in the future,” Adams said.
Firefighters say the tortoise did no appear to be injured and there were no other injuries reported.
ORIGINAL STORY: Firefighters rescued a 100-pound tortoise in a Santa Rosa Beach house fire on Friday morning.
According to the South Walton Fire District, crews arrived shortly before 5 a.m. near E. Hewett Road.
Firefighters said the house was heavily engulfed with flames, causing the roof to collapse. Crews remained on scene for several hours to mitigate the hotspots.
It was reported that the fire caused significant damage to the house, which was unoccupied.
The firefighters found the property owner’s tortoise in the backyard.
Walton County Sheriff’s Office deputies then safely reunited the tortoise with its owner. The tortoise appears to be uninjured.
Firefighters reported the fire threatened two neighboring houses, causing moderate damage to one of the houses’ windows and roofline.
Deputies assisted with evacuating surrounding homes and blocking off the roadway.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by the SWFD and the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
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Source: mypanhandle
