Dria El
October 10th, 2001, 09:21 AM
<A HREF="http://dogsinthenews.com/issues/0106/articles/010624a.htm">Bird's
Butt Burns House Down, Dog and Cats Esca…</A>
http://dogsinthenews.com/issues/0106/articles/010624a.htm
Bird's Butt Burns House Down, Dog and Cats Escape
Sunday, June 24, 2001 - UK
SOMERSET -- A common British sparrow smoking in bed was the cause of a severe fire that burned the roof and collapsed the ceiling of a Somerset home late last week.
"We are 99 percent certain that this was the cause," reported Mr. Pete Stobart, investigating officer of Avon Fire Brigade.
When firefighters arrived on the scene of Carole Collison's burning residence in Weston-super-Mare, they were able to quickly control the flames which had consumed the uninhabited loft space. Ms. Collison, 53, had been able to rescue her Collie mutt Ben, two cats CJ and Bitty, and her 23-year-old daughter Msiska, fleeing to safety before the blaze caught hold.
Investigators were baffled as to what could have been the cause of the fire; the loft had no electrical wires or fittings. They spent the next day sifting through the ashes looking for clues, and eventually an interesting item presented itself.
A badly-burned sparrow's nest was found in the ashes, containing as many as seven cigarette butts. Yes, indeed; there seemed to be evidence of fowl play (sorry, I couldn't resist). Investigators were able to piece together the drama: apparently a sparrow had been building its nest in the roof space, under the rafters. As birds are wont to do, this little arsonist happened to prefer cigarette butts as the choice building material, unfortunately acquiring one cigarette that hadn't finished yet.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds corroborated the theory, stating, "The filter material on a cigarette is very soft and sparrows will pick up any old material for their bedding--they wouldn't know a cigarette end from a piece of newspaper. It is unfortunate."
Ms. Collison, who is not a smoker, lost furniture, carpets and memorabilia amounting to several thousand pounds, but she is alive and well along with her extended animal family, according to The Daily Telegraph.
The renegade sparrow's body was never found amid the ruins; it has been assumed that the bird flew the coup. Other sparrow witnesses are refusing to talk; after all, they ain't no stool pigeons.
Butt Burns House Down, Dog and Cats Esca…</A>
http://dogsinthenews.com/issues/0106/articles/010624a.htm
Bird's Butt Burns House Down, Dog and Cats Escape
Sunday, June 24, 2001 - UK
SOMERSET -- A common British sparrow smoking in bed was the cause of a severe fire that burned the roof and collapsed the ceiling of a Somerset home late last week.
"We are 99 percent certain that this was the cause," reported Mr. Pete Stobart, investigating officer of Avon Fire Brigade.
When firefighters arrived on the scene of Carole Collison's burning residence in Weston-super-Mare, they were able to quickly control the flames which had consumed the uninhabited loft space. Ms. Collison, 53, had been able to rescue her Collie mutt Ben, two cats CJ and Bitty, and her 23-year-old daughter Msiska, fleeing to safety before the blaze caught hold.
Investigators were baffled as to what could have been the cause of the fire; the loft had no electrical wires or fittings. They spent the next day sifting through the ashes looking for clues, and eventually an interesting item presented itself.
A badly-burned sparrow's nest was found in the ashes, containing as many as seven cigarette butts. Yes, indeed; there seemed to be evidence of fowl play (sorry, I couldn't resist). Investigators were able to piece together the drama: apparently a sparrow had been building its nest in the roof space, under the rafters. As birds are wont to do, this little arsonist happened to prefer cigarette butts as the choice building material, unfortunately acquiring one cigarette that hadn't finished yet.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds corroborated the theory, stating, "The filter material on a cigarette is very soft and sparrows will pick up any old material for their bedding--they wouldn't know a cigarette end from a piece of newspaper. It is unfortunate."
Ms. Collison, who is not a smoker, lost furniture, carpets and memorabilia amounting to several thousand pounds, but she is alive and well along with her extended animal family, according to The Daily Telegraph.
The renegade sparrow's body was never found amid the ruins; it has been assumed that the bird flew the coup. Other sparrow witnesses are refusing to talk; after all, they ain't no stool pigeons.