Heat Lamp Fire

Doug in Colorado

Songster
5 Years
Mar 21, 2018
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Please forgive me for bring this up again. We are all aware that the heat lamps are a fire hazard, however this needs to be reenforced.

About 2 weeks ago a home here in Colorado Springs was burned and now uninhabitable. I drive past this house every day coming home from work.

Yesterday, the local news announced that the cause of the fire was a chicken brooder heat lamp that fell into the straw and started a fire.
The tragedy only is compounded by the fact that the coop was the neighbors along the wooden fence and the fire spread to the house next door. Today as I drove by I could see that there was indeed the charred remnants of a coop and the burned out wooden fence.

Please everyone, don't let this tragedy go without learning from the results. Yes, the heat plate is more costly; how much is your house worth? Had this fire started at 2am, would there have been lives lost?

Please think about this and be very careful.

Doug in Colorado Springs
 
Thanks for sharing. If anyone MUST use a heat lamp, please make sure it's secured 2 or even 3 different ways, to help prevent this from happening.

Personally I recommend the mama heat pad. Here's a link for anyone who would like to check it out. It's a much safer option and the chicks will get used to day and night, which helps when you transfer them to the coop.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...e-heavy-update.956958/page-1067#post-19744166
 
Good reminder. The darn things sure do get hot.

At the risk of being politically incorrect I just have to say this.

Why is it that I, and many others, look at a typical brooder lamp set up and see that the clamp is just an accident waiting to happen? 4 dollars at the hardware store got me some chain and quick links. Easy. I'm not a rocket scientist, average human.

So why do others go "oh nice clamp that's handy" then clip it onto the most rickety and/ or flammable item in their house or barn, suspended over fabulous kindling?

Something very Darwinian going on here. Just saying.
:oops:
 
A very humbling reminder. Thanks for telling us. I haven't turned my heat lamp on yet, but That is my worst nightmare. I spent a good amount on my brooder so it has a very safe way to suspend the lamp.

I wonder if their heat lamp had a guard on it? My heat lamp has a huge guard, so it can't get closer than about 8 inches from the floor. It's still pretty close, but I think it would be good enough until someone came to check. We always have someone home when we have day olds.
 
Good reminder. The darn things sure do get hot.

At the risk of being politically incorrect I just have to say this.

Why is it that I, and many others, look at a typical brooder lamp set up and see that the clamp is just an accident waiting to happen? 4 dollars at the hardware store got me some chain and quick links. Easy. I'm not a rocket scientist, average human.

So why do others go "oh nice clamp that's handy" then clip it onto the most rickety and/ or flammable item in their house or barn, suspended over fabulous kindling?

Something very Darwinian going on here. Just saying.
:oops:
While I don't disagree, I venture to guess for the same reason people look at what seasoned poultry folks easily recognize as entirely undesirable housing for poultry - those awful prefab setups- and think, "oh. perfect....and it says I can put 10 chickens in there".... the products are presented as being suitable as is and many consumers assume that means they are safe, right, suitable
 
Oh wow. Yes, good reminder. After just having a neighborhood fire, this is really helpful. Although, my friend stopped using a heating pad because it was burning the chicks backs..?
 

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