Local News in Brief : Anaheim : Cold Bird Blamed in $200,000 House Fire

A chilly bird turned out to be a bigger problem than homeowner Harry Tang could have imagined, fire investigators speculated Monday after a blaze all but destroyed Tang’s two-story home.

Tang’s pet parrot had been chilly at night, so he bought an electric space heater to keep the bird warm, Anaheim Fire Department investigator Mike Feeney said.

But something went wrong and a fire ignited, Anaheim city spokeswoman Carolyn Griebe said.

“They are not sure if it was a short because of a faulty extension cord, or if the heater was defective,” Griebe added.

In any case, by the time firefighters arrived at the house in the 1300 block of Dallas Street shortly before 1 a.m. Monday, it was engulfed in flames. Tang was hard at work in an unsuccessful effort to put out the fire with a garden hose.

Tang survived without injury, but it was unclear whether the parrot did. The blaze caused $200,000 damage to the six-bedroom home.

The good news? Firefighters saved several thousand dollars worth of koi fish by filling garbage cans with water and transferring them with fishing nets, Feeney said.