Confused Groundhog Sparks Fire Department Response in Auburn

A groundhog in Auburn is being blamed for setting off a fire alarm, and this might be one of the most unexpected emergency calls of the year.

According to officials, crews responded to the scene after a fire alarm was activated. When firefighters arrived, they quickly determined there was no fire and no smoke in the building. Instead, they found the apparent culprit: a very confused groundhog that had somehow gotten itself into a wall near the alarm.

The Auburn Fire Department shared video of the unusual rescue, showing firefighters carefully removing the animal from the wall before safely bringing it back outside.

Thankfully, nobody was hurt, nothing was damaged, and the groundhog was returned to the wild after its brief run-in with first responders.

The fire department had some fun with the situation, joking that the groundhog did not see its shadow, only the flashing lights. Officials also said the animal was given a lecture on proper fire safety and the consequences of pulling false alarms before being released.

WGME reported that It is unclear whether the groundhog took the warning seriously, but hopefully it thinks twice before messing with another alarm system.

Either way, Auburn firefighters can now add “groundhog extraction” to the list of things they apparently have to be ready for on any given day in Maine.