Alligator allegedly sparks fire in R.I. apartment

[Confederate Kahanist]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40594664/ns/local_news-boston_ma/

CENTRAL FALLS, R.I. — An alligator is taking the heat for sparking an apartment fire in Rhode Island.

Firefighters that responded to a Central Falls, R. I. home got more than they bargained for. Inside the second floor apartment was a three-foot alligator, a 10-foot Burmese python, two other 10-foot snakes, a smaller snake and a large iguana.

The tenant blamed the alligator for starting a small fire, claiming the reptile knocked over a small heating lamp.

“The alligator usually knocks it over, but it usually just shuts off. This time it didn’t shut off,” said Jesus Romero, the reptile owner.

The tenants who live below the animal house said they called 911 when they smelled smoke. They said they are angry about all the reptiles.

“We don’t live in South Africa. We live in Central Falls, Rhode Island, that shouldn’t even be taking place at all,” said Michelle Florez, a tenant.

“I wont let them get out of the room. I make sure I take care of them,” said Romero.

Firefighters have confirmed the fire started when a heating lamp made contact with the alligator’s plastic kiddie pool.

The housing authority is now investigating whether it is legal for the animals to live there.

[cjd]

I am sure the Alligator resents the alligation that he was the fire starter What in the world was Jesus running in that apartment a zoo? I think the tenant is the one who is responsible and should be taking the heat 

[Rubystars]

Large Iguanas need very large enclosures to be happy, so they shouldn't live in an apartment situation except when they're very young. Alligators actually need large ponds, and I don't think people should keep them at all unless they have access to that plus a really good fence.

The snakes would probably be ok, but he would need pretty large tanks for the burmese pythons, and I doubt that he had enough room for them in his apartment. Plus you need more than one person to safely feed a 10 foot snake, and it sounds like he was doing it all by himself.

I hope that his animals will be relocated somewhere they can be cared for and not destroyed. The guy is probably lucky someone got to him before one of his pythons did.

[cjd]

Large Iguanas need very large enclosures to be happy, so they shouldn't live in an apartment situation except when they're very young. Alligators actually need large ponds, and I don't think people should keep them at all unless they have access to that plus a really good fence.

The snakes would probably be ok, but he would need pretty large tanks for the burmese pythons, and I doubt that he had enough room for them in his apartment. Plus you need more than one person to safely feed a 10 foot snake, and it sounds like he was doing it all by himself.

I hope that his animals will be relocated somewhere they can be cared for and not destroyed. The guy is probably lucky someone got to him before one of his pythons did.

A few years back someone had a large snake in one of the apartment buildings here in New York... The darn thing got loose and somehow got into the sewer pipes of the building.. It must have been coming up in the toilet bowls in some of the apartments where some of the other tenants caught a glimpse of it.. They tossed so much lye into the pipes that it killed the snake and there by clogging the system... The building owner had to replace some of the pipes to extract the remains of the snake.

[Rubystars]

I feel sad that the snake had to die because its owner was incompetent and selfish, but on the other hand I'm glad that it passed away before it ate someone's pet or small child.

[cjd]

I feel sad that the snake had to die because its owner was incompetent and selfish, but on the other hand I'm glad that it passed away before it ate someone's pet or small child.

They actually had a picture of  it in the papers where they dismantled the plumbing system and found the snake. It was indeed large enough to eat a pet or harm a small child... As I remember a woman said she was sitting on the throne and she happened to look in and saw something moving at the bottom of the bowl ... I guess she was not the only person in the building that saw it.

[Rubystars]

I feel sad that the snake had to die because its owner was incompetent and selfish, but on the other hand I'm glad that it passed away before it ate someone's pet or small child.

They actually had a picture of  it in the papers where they dismantled the plumbing system and found the snake. It was indeed large enough to eat a pet or harm a small child... As I remember a woman said she was sitting on the throne and she happened to look in and saw something moving at the bottom of the bowl ... I guess she was not the only person in the building that saw it.

That's just awful. I can imagine that creating a life-long phobia.

[cjd]

I feel sad that the snake had to die because its owner was incompetent and selfish, but on the other hand I'm glad that it passed away before it ate someone's pet or small child.

They actually had a picture of  it in the papers where they dismantled the plumbing system and found the snake. It was indeed large enough to eat a pet or harm a small child... As I remember a woman said she was sitting on the throne and she happened to look in and saw something moving at the bottom of the bowl ... I guess she was not the only person in the building that saw it.

That's just awful. I can imagine that creating a life-long phobia.

It would for me!... You got to love New Yorkers they know just how to deal with a situation like that (Lye)