Iguana's cage sparks a school fire The lizard was gone, but still its luck ran out.

The heat lamps used to keep Nasdaq's cage the proper temperature had been inadvertently left burning for more than 18 hours, Smith said. The Evesham Fire Marshal's Office determined that the lamp caused the blaze.

The fire began shortly after midnight and was under control by 12:40 a.m., Evesham firefighters said. Areas near the vice principal's office had minor smoke and water damage.

Nasdaq, the pet of vice principal Robert Horvath, had stopped eating, prompting Horvath to take her to the vet. Initially, Nasdaq had been improving, Smith said.

Much the way fish have been used to calm patients waiting in a doctor's office, an iguana can soothe students, DeMasi officials had discovered. Since 1993, Horvath has had several different iguanas live in his office.

Smith said school officials would review whether teachers and administrators should be allowed to keep pets in the school.

"They are for purely wonderful purposes," Smith said, "but now all of that will be something that will have to be looked at."

Wendy Ginsberg's e-mail address is wginsberg@phillynews.com.