Sugar Gliders And Other Animals Rescued In Battle Creek Fire

Several animals had to be rescued from a Battle Creek fire Thursday afternoon.

The Battle Creek Fire Department says that just before 5pm Thursday, firefighters were called to a two story home in the first block of Bayshore Dr. Upon arrival, smoke was seen coming from the garage. The homeowner said that every person was out of the home, but animals needed to be evacuated.

The fire was quickly contained to a laundry room off of the garage, and firefighters entered the home to rescue the owner’s animals; they were also successfully removed, although they had to give emergency oxygen to a pair of small marsupials called sugar gliders. No one on the scene was injured.

Crews then ventilated smoke that had permeated the home. Investigation shows that it was likely a faulty surge protector that caused a heating lamp to set a wooden cage on fire.

Sugar gliders are small marsupials native to Australia and Southeast Asia that are capable of gliding short distances. They have become an increasingly popular exotic pet in America. Some states and municipalities have regulated keeping them as a pet, but Michigan currently has no rules on the books.