A middle school classroom fire in Bedford County, Virginia, prompts a dispute over the cause after an approximately 8-foot python named Nanner is found outside its enclosure. Officials say the python knocked over a heat fixture, triggering the blaze at Forest Middle School. Firefighters and investigators publicize the claim as part of their account of how the fire began.
The teacher who owns the python, Brittany Jacobs, disputes that assessment. She argues the snake was trying to escape during the fire rather than starting it, and says the python was found after the incident began. The fire damages part of the school and a tortoise kept at the classroom is reported to have died.
While both outlets describe the same incident, they diverge on the interpretation of the snake’s role—officials blame Nanner for initiating the fire, while the teacher contends the python is a victim of the emergency rather than its source.
