Sebastian, the bearded dragon, 2 cats reunited with owners following house fire

Jan 28, 2024

Sebastian the Bearded Dragon was located by Ann Arbor firefighters in one of the demolished units on May 30.Provided by the City of Ann Arbor Fire Department

ANN ARBOR, MI -- Two cats and a bearded dragon have been reunited with their owners following a Memorial Day fire that destroyed two duplexes in the 800 block of North Maple Road.

The bearded dragon, named Sebastian, was located in one of the units and has been reunited with its owners, a young Ann Arbor couple, according to an Ann Arbor Fire Department Facebook post on Tuesday, May 30.

"Sebastian was in an aquarium and the theory is that…the aquarium had rubber material holding the glass in, and (the fire department) thinks the heat melted the glass so he could get out," said Jared Ledvina, a friend of the bearded dragon's owners.

"He was hiding behind this china cabinet that they had against the wall…and the theory is that he was low and he's a reptile, so he clearly handled the heat, and out of sheer luck the fire didn't really burn that specific corner of the room."

The couple's two cats, Rowdy and Mumford, were located and received emergency veterinarian services the night of the fire. They’re still searching for their third cat, an orange tabby kitten named Lovebug.

Ann Arbor fire crews responded to calls shortly before 6 p.m. on Monday, May 29 for a three-alarm structure fire. Upon arrival, they found a well-involved duplex with fire spreading to four vehicles and the duplex next door. The blaze destroyed both duplexes, injuring one person and displacing seven.

The cause of the fire has been linked to a duplex resident burning cardboard in a fire pit near the duplex. Campfires must be made at least 25 feet from any structure, according to fire officials. City regulations prohibit the burning of trash or anything other than natural wood.

The pet owners had to abandon the two felines and the lizard in the chaos of Monday's fire, according to a GoFundMe page Ledvina launched on their behalf. He set up the page the day after the fire to help cover the cats’ emergency vet bills and make it easier for the couple to accept donations.

"There were already people wanting to donate money…and (the pet owners) are way overwhelmed because they just lost everything but the phones in their pockets and the clothes on their back."

The GoFundMe has currently gathered over $8,400 in donations, exceeding the initial ask of $6,000 to cover vet expenses.

"Every dollar is a dollar that's going to go either to a cat toy, a short-term lease…a place that they can call home again, or a car, or underwear or socks. I mean literally everything is gone," Ledvina said.

The couple and their pets are staying with Ledvina while they sort out their next steps. The two cats and Sebastian are home and recovering well, Ledvina said.

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