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Investigator: Heater Caused St. Pete Fire That Killed Cat

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By STEPHEN THOMPSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 2, 2009

Updated: 03/02/2009 10:40 am

ST. PETERSBURG - A house where several exotic animals lived caught fire this morning, but the only creature that died was a cat, said Lt. Joel Granata, spokesman for St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue.

The blaze at 3597 Manatee Drive S.E. was reported at 7:46 a.m., Granata said.

The fire was hardly visible from the outside when firefighters arrived, with a little smoke seeping through the eaves, Granata said. Firefighters burst through the front door and contained the blaze to the home's hallway, he said.

The owners work in Plant City and were on their way to their home this morning, he said.

Twenty-one turtles survived, as did one 3-foot-long iguana, Granata said. There were three cats, but firefighters were able to revive two of them, he said.

Fire investigator Mike Medley has determined the fire started as the result of some combustibles having been left too close to a space heater, Granata said.

The house has a fair market value of $293,000, and the blaze caused an estimated $10,000 in damage, Granata said.

Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336.

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