AVALANCHE-JOURNAL (Lubbock, Texas) 13 August 03 Iguana breathing easier after rescue (Kerry Drennan)
Fire officials are uncertain what caused the fire Tuesday morning that severely damaged a mobile home, but they do know one thing: the lizard inside apparently was fire-proof.
"Luckily he didn't suffer any problems," Roosevelt Volunteer Fire Department Chief Bill Sides said. "He was sure glad for the door to be open so he could get a little bit of fresh air."
The 5-year-old iguana was in a cage on the floor of the double-wide mobile home in eastern Lubbock County. The fire began just after 9 a.m. on FM 1729 near FM 40.
The resident, Jimmy Rangel, was not at home at the time of the fire, Sides said.
"It burned out the bedroom and closets and rooms associated with it," Sides said. "The structure had severe heat and smoke damage all throughout the rest of it."
The fire was extinguished in about 45 minutes, he said.
The Idalou Volunteer Fire Department helped the Roosevelt department fight the fire, Sides said.
Iguana breathing easier after rescue