Nearly a week after a state wildlife officer shot and killed his runaway pet tiger, Steve Sipek and the lioness and black leopard he kept inside escaped unharmed from a fire that ripped through his Loxahatchee home Monday afternoon.
The flames heavily damaged the former Tarzan movie actor's laundry room, weight room and attic and left Sipek shaken. His five remaining big cats, including three caged outside, were not injured.
Sipek, whose story grabbed national headlines last week, said he doesn't suspect arson.
It was an electrical fire that started with an explosion in the air conditioner, which a repairman had just fixed, he said.
County firefighters put out the blaze in about an hour, but only after waiting 17 minutes for Sipek's tiger, lion and leopard caged outside and black leopard and lioness inside to be accounted for and secured, said Steve Jerauld, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue division chief of operations.
The house is surrounded by a series of cages and gates for the animals.
"It was not a small thing," Jerauld said of the fire.
"It was blowing out of there like somebody put bombs there."
Sipek said he'll live in a neighboring building on his 5-acre compound until he can rebuild the main quarters, where his pets roamed freely.
He held a funeral Sunday for Bobo, the tiger that got loose into the neighborhood last Monday and was killed the next day by a wildlife officer who said he shot the tiger after it lunged at him.
Wildlife officers have been widely criticized publicly since the shooting. An investigation continues.
Bobo's grave -- outside Sipek's home -- was decorated with flowers, crosses and gold and silver lions.
Several volunteers said they spent the weekend with Sipek helping to clean up the property and prepare in case state wildlife officers showed up for an inspection sometime today.
Cats and fire have played major roles in Sipek's life.
He said he dedicated his life to saving wildcats after a lion saved his life by dragging him to safety during a fire on a Tarzan movie set in 1970.
He said arsonists set fire to his house twice in 1985. And just as he did then, Sipek said he plans to rebuild.
But the house is much less important than the animals he loves, he said.
Sipek looked tired and shaken as firefighters, wildlife officers and reporters explored the grounds.
"I've had my share this week," Sipek said.
