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In certain circles, groundhogs are notorious for wrecking gardens, destroying property and causing six more weeks of winter.
Now they can add to their list of offenses against the public: falsely activating a fire alarm.
The Auburn Fire Department was called to a property after a fire alarm activated. But when firefighters arrived there, they saw no smoke or fires, just a “very confused rodent,” the department said Monday.
The groundhog apparently tripped the fire alarm, and after a firefighter removed the critter, “the crew gave him a lecture on proper fire safety and the consequences of pulling false alarms and he was safely escorted outside.”
Under state law, a false public alarm is considered a Class D crime, but it may become an aggravated offense if the false alarm causes an evacuation or lockdown of a public space.