Iguana jumps on firefighter's head to escape Corby blaze

An iguana escaped from a house fire by jumping on to a firefighter's helmet.

The athletic reptile's survival instinct kicked in when fire broke out at its owner's home in Whitworth Avenue, Corby, on Wednesday night.

As crews battled the flames, the iguana leapt to the safety of a firefighter's head, Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

A spokeswoman said the crew member did not realise it was there, and the pet was carried away unscathed.

It was "a very unique incident - one that we have never dealt with before", she said.

"The fireman... didn't realise the iguana had climbed on top of him at first as he initially thought it was a colleague touching his helmet.

"What a surprise he then had to find this iguana chilling on his head, eager to escape the burning building."

Source: www.reptileexpert.co.uk

Posting a photograph of the iguana and firefighter on Twitter, the crew wrote: "One of [the] occupants couldn't wait to be rescued and jumped to safety to hitch a ride out!!"

The blaze, which took hold at about 23:40 GMT, was caused by "a faulty reptile heated mat in the living room", Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service concluded.

While there was some damage to the living room, the iguana was unhurt and there were no other injuries.

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