Updated on: February 11, 2026 / 4:35 PM PST / CBS LA
Dramatic video shows the moments when a tortoise safely scampers away from a burning shed in the backyard of a home in Fullerton over the weekend.
Joshua Kim says that the fire erupted in their backyard after a heat lamp in the shed where Leo the tortoise lives fell onto a pile of mulch, which she usually uses to keep himself warm.
"My sister texted me that, 'Oh, there was a fire in the backyard. Can you go and find Leo? I think she's under dirt or something, hiding,' Kim said.
He says that no one was home when the fire broke out because they were at a Super Bowl party. Luckily, some of their neighbors sprang into action to extinguish it with a trash can filled with water.
The entire ordeal was [captured on cameras](https://www.tiktok.com/@leothehomelesstort/video/7604733699317337357) that the Kim family uses to watch Leo in his backyard enclosure. Despite belonging to the world's slowest-moving animal group, she surely hustled away from the growing fire.
"Leo, I guess, is a real fast tortoise," Kim said. "Escaping a fire and surviving on its own, pretty amazing."
They said that Leo was unscathed in the incident and hope that her newfound fame helps other pet owners learn of the potential dangers of heat lamps.
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