Coop Fire

[welasharon]

Our house burned to the ground when I was in elementary school. My mom had a light on some chicks. We almost didn't get out. We had to crawl out the windows in our pajamas. It is so very scary.
sharon

 

[babsbag]

Our house burned to the ground when I was in elementary school. My mom had a light on some chicks. We almost didn't get out. We had to crawl out the windows in our pajamas. It is so very scary.
sharon

I am certainly thankful that no one was hurt and that my house and garage was unharmed. The chicken shed is about 100' from my house. My husband had done a wonderful job on the shed. It was 10x14 with a glass sliding door and a security door for a screen for summer. I only had it for 1 year. He says he will build me a new one, but I feel almost as bad about that as I do the chicks. I hate adding to his honey do list.

I do have hens that go broody, and just tonight I found a hen setting behind a rose bush on 17 eggs

; and she is a bantie. There is no way she is going to hatch them all, she can't keep them warm. So now she has a new home in a dog crate with 8 eggs and I have 9 in the 'bator. Hopefully I can sneak mine in on her when the time comes, but I don't think she can keep 17 chicks warm either. (assuming they all hatch). I think some other hen must be adding to her clutch.

It wouldn't break my heart to raise some chicks, but another way to brood them is at the top of the list.

 

[7L Farm]

Very sad news for a coop to burn. And I hate to hear it.
Thankfully, the loss was contained to the coop and chickens.
Bad as that was.

Although heat lamps catch the main blame, there are other things
in the coop that can --and will-- cause fire.

Keep it clean. Enough dust in an enclosed area can and will cause fire.
Even when it's cold outside, you need enough ventilation for air transfer.

I bet the most of us use extension cords to supply the coop in the winter.
Make sure you have the correct cord, rated for outdoor use. My personal
choice is buried lines, enclosed in conduit. All wire inside the coop should
be in conduit.

And of course we all have fire extinguishers in every outbuilding.
More things than a heat lamp can cause a coop fire.

Keep it clean, keep it safe.

Spook

Glad, I read your quote. I need to get some more fire extinguishers & put them in my coops. Thanks!! For those that have never used a fire extiguisher they are a great tool for putting out fires real quick.

 

[kilby]

I feel for you. Could it have been arson? People who don't respect firefighters.
100 watt white lights cause cannabalism. use red or black I use a 60 watt ceramic heat emitter bulb in a small hutch for three chickens. It keeps the hutch seven degrees C warmer than the outside. More insulation needed if it gets colder. I hope it does not happen to anyone else.

 

[azygous]

This is the most heart breaking thing that can happen to a chicken owner. My heart just breaks for you.

I can see how it could have happened, though. You mentioned the twine you had the lamp tied with. The fuzzy threads making up the string could become hot and burst into flame, burning through the string, causing the burning piece to drop to the floor, igniting the floor materials.

Heat lamps can be perfectly safe. You need to be fully aware of any flammable material, no matter how small and insignificant, that could come into contact with the hot bulb or reflector, and to secure the lap by at least two different, non-flammable means.

But after what you've gone through, I wouldn't blame you for not wanting to ever use a heat lamp again. There are other alternatives out there, thankfully.

 

[Linn Bee]

I am so sorry for your loss. I have a 100 watt bulb to extend the daylight hours and a 200 watt red heat lamp that is on only 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after 'lights out' each day. I have both secured to eyebolts in the ceiling with the cords attached to the ceiling and wall in several places with electrical wire clamps. Still, I am always worried about the unimaginable happening.

Yesterday I spent time cleaning the coop. I swept down the coop walls, wiped all the flat surfaces, and cleaned the lights and fixtures. Not sure if all that dust and dirt could be flammable but why take the chance?

Then last night just as I was letting the dog out for her last potty break I could smell burning wood. I had to get dressed, go out in the cold, and check the coop. . . just in case. Wish I could see it from the house, but it is hidden behind my garden shed. Of course, for me there was no problem and I know the neighbor has an outdoor wood burner, but I just needed reassurance that my birds were safe.

I will be so glad when daylight hours are enough for my girls to lay. By next winter, I hope to have the wiring run inside the walls. I think I will replace the red heat lamp with a red-colored bulb. I have thought about doing that before. I guess now would be a good time.

 

[rsleghornchicki]

Yeh We had moved our baby chicks outside and they were in a wooden run when the geat lamp fell...
We looked outside and saw my dog Holly wiht my Buff Orpington chick in her mouth, we ran ourside to try and get my chick and then we went to make sure no other chicks were out. We saw the heat lamp sitting on the wooden top and a small flame growing. We got a bucket of water and killed the fire and we sill have the top. One corner is black a burnt of.