A PET rat named No Name triggered a fire in his beer can-strewn cage when he stole a smoldering cigarette butt from an ashtray and took it to bed with him.

Miraculously, No Name survived the cage blaze and was found scampering around the floor at owner Nelly Banks's apartment in the town of Morecambe, the UK's Lancashire Evening Postsaid.

"He is a little pincher, he is always taking stuff and hiding it and this time he took one of my cigarettes and put it into his cage which is obviously flammable," the paper quoted Ms Banks as saying.

"He had beer cans and bits of paper and all sorts in there, so it did not take much to send it up.

"I don't know what he thought he was doing, it was about 3 am and I woke up and there was smoke everywhere."

A member of the local fire crew said he believed No Name was building a nest and managed to escape through an open door when he discovered his home was about to go up in flames, the Post said.

"He's in the dog house, but I’m too soft to be upset with him forever," Ms Banks was quoted as saying.

Read more at the Lancashire Evening Post.

Originally published as Pet rat takes cigarette to bed with him