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Brittany Jacobs disputes fire marshal's claim that her python started a middle school fire

Brittany Jacobs, a life science teacher at Forest Middle School, is defending her 8-foot python, Nanner, after local authorities attributed the start of a fire to the snake. The fire, which occurred on the second floor of the school, resulted in water and smoke damage to eight classrooms and the death of a tortoise. While the fire marshal, Steven Whipple, stated that the python escaped its enclosure and knocked over a heat fixture, Jacobs insists the fire was an accident not caused by the snake's actions. She argues that all light fixtures were secured and that Nanner only escaped her tank to flee the heat of an existing blaze. Jacobs noted that she has used animals as teaching tools for 18 years without previous incidents. Following the fire, Jacobs removed all her classroom animals, and school officials are working to restore the affected rooms. Superintendent William Dupere stated that most classrooms will be ready for the first day of school, though the primary science classroom will require at least a month to repair.

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