A tortoise in Worland is lucky to be alive after escaping a fire it unintentionally caused.
It was 6:41 p.m. Saturday when the Worland Fire Department, Cody Regional Health ambulance and law enforcement officers were dispatched to a fire on the eastern edge of Worland. A backyard greenhouse had been engulfed in flames while its occupant, a tortoise, was trapped inside.
“Upon arrival, crews gained access to the backyard and were able to suppress a greenhouse that was actively on fire,” said Chris Kocher, fire chief of the Worland Fire District. “Once our crews had it suppressed, we identified that the tortoise was still alive inside.”
The firefighters at the scene escorted the tortoise’s owner inside the smoldering greenhouse so she could coordinate a safe rescue. Together, they got the tortoise to safety.
“Our crews didn't want to do any harm to the tortoise, so they allowed the owner to pick it up, so it was done properly,” Kocher said. “Once it was safe to go in, we got in and got the tortoise out.”
The tortoise got a little toasted from the ordeal. Kocher said its shell and some of its soft parts were burned, but the tortoise is expected to make a full recovery.
Tortoise Trouble
Many Wyoming residents have tortoises as pets. They’re long-lived, stubborn, mischievous, and destructive.
"They’re amazing animals, but when they’re determined, they will not stop,” said Wapiti resident and reptile breeder Sean Cooper.
In October 2024, Cooper’s 10-year-old Sulcata tortoise, “Sheldon,” was missing for more than 24 hours after escaping from his outdoor enclosure. He was found over a mile uphill from his home and successfully rescued.
A fully-grown Sulcata tortoise can weigh over 200 pounds and live for 75 years. They’re popular pets because of their docile nature, but they also tend to be active and destructive.
“They will take care of themselves," Cody resident Sabrina Hanson said about her Sulcata tortoise, “Sweet Pea.” "If there's something in my yard that he doesn't like, it will be moved. Lawn furniture ends up out in the yard if it's not where he wants it. He's dumped over our grill before. He’s a pain in the butt.”
Sweet Pea escaped from his backyard in July 2024. He was found grazing on a neighbor’s lawn, over a block away, later that day.
Safety Season
This tortoise was almost the architect of its own demise. According to Kocher, the fire was caused by the tortoise’s life-giving heat lamp.
“The ignition was a heat lamp that the tortoise actually knocked down,” he said.
Since they’re cold-blooded, reptiles need heat lamps to maintain their body temperature. The tortoise must have knocked over its heat lamp while wandering through its greenhouse.
Kocher saw the unusual incident as a potent reminder of the changing seasons as Wyoming moves into the coldest months of the year. Most homes don’t have free-range tortoises, but they might have heat lamps or other devices that can ignite fires.
“We respond to several calls a year caused by heating lamps as people try to keep their animals warm,” he said. “It brings attention to the fact that those lamps and cords need to be secured so animals can't knock them down and start fires.”
Cooper knows how tenacious tortoises can be. Sheldon has escaped three times and was lost for two weeks during one of those escapes.
"People get them as golf ball-sized babies in the pet trade, but they don’t realize how much of a responsibility they really are once they start to get huge," he said. "They require a lot of space to roam, and you have to build an escape-proof area with enough space to keep them happy.”
Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com.
