Never use a heat lamp

[mistrtom]

My heat lamp I was using to keep my 7 guinea keets, some chicks, and a duckling warm caught my coop on fire, then my barn full of $20k worth of tools, a motorcycle, and my boat, then caught my 28' camper on fire. HAD I READ A POST SUCH AS THIS ONE I NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS WOULD HAVE USED A HEAT LAMP, PERIOD. Don't fool yourselves into thinking that just because you have attached it securely with 3 seperate durable metal wires that you have eliminated the risk of fire. I'm here to tell you this is 100% false and warn you so that you don't have to be so thankful to God for giving you a premonition that inexplicably inspired you to put your German shepherd outside, remove your tailored designer suits to one of your parked vehicles even though you triple checked that everything was secure just as it had been for the previous 6weeks, before heading to work, only to get a call after lunch from the volunteer fire dept to be told the words: "It's all gone." As I did. I feel so ashamed for the negligence of ever considering using a heat lamp over other inexpensive and widely available heating solutions, such as sweeter heaters or other radiant brooder heaters. Plain and simple, if you read this and, still, go on your merry way to the local feed store to purchase a heat lamp, you are irresponsible...and while you may not have a coop that is in what a reasonable person would consider close proximity to your home or other outbuilding, you are at the willy nilly whim of Murphy's Law and may find yourself googling the local red cross to request assistance because you failed to heed these stern and ominous words of caution. Please be kind enough to make the newcomers to raising poultry whom you cross paths with incapable of purchasing a heat lamp without disregarding the many who have been failed by feed stores over the years that are comfortable selling heat lamps to neophytes, never mentioning potential misadventure or impressing upon them that extremely affordable alternatives exist which are not only safer, but better simulate a mother hen's warmth and provide substantial psychological benefits while also keeping the birds more comfortable. End of story. I'll get off my soapbox, now. Ftr, I'm not sorry if I bummed anyone out. I cannot help but to feel a tiny bit of contempt for anyone that stocks a heat lamp on a shelf for the purposes of keeping poultry warm...it is not what I'd consider ethical and definitely not equitable for anyone involved. My coop was 65ft from any structure and my lamp was well secured by anyone's estimation.

 

[Memoli]

OMG So sorry to hear that

 

[Silexian]

Sadly this is not the first article about this topic. Along with pictures of the damage. Like on the news every winter. With fire department standing in front of a still smoldering house. Warning not to use space heaters. It won’t be the last one either. Sorry for what you are going through.

 

[Callender Girl]

How horrible! At the very least, I hope there is some insurance coverage for your losses.

And, yes, thank God for that premonition.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

I'm sorry for this tragedy you have gone through. Even if it was just the chicks that perished, it would be sad enough. But you lost them and a lot more. I'm glad you and your family were not hurt. You are smart to put out this warning. I actually have a plant light plugged in in my basement that emits heat as well, just because I ran out of space under my LEDs. I'm going to go turn that one off right now. It's not worth the risk for a few tomato plants.


Sending prayers

 

[The Moonshiner]

Do you know what caused it to catch fire exactly?
Ya I know.... the d@mn heat lamp. But curious exactly why.
I take it that it didn't fall. Was it too close, overheated, shorted out, dust build up, spontaneous, aliens, or ?

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I am SO incredibly sorry this happened to you but I 100% applaud you sharing in the event you convince others ditch the lamps! No need to apologize for any which way you come across, you deserve to be pissed. I've watch @Blooie try to convince people to start chicks without lamps for years and years and the arguments and crap given for good sound advice is just an insult. So glad that you are okay and hope you can re-build

 

[Isadora]

While I'm sorry for your tragedy, I would disagree with your assertion that anyone that uses a heat lamp is irresponsible.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

While I'm sorry for your tragedy, I would disagree with your assertion that anyone that uses a heat lamp is irresponsible.

Same. I always experience higher loses when I don't use the lamps at least for the first few days with my shipped chicks. And when the temperature is too low for a heating plate, I simply don't have a choice if I don't want birds to freeze.

But I also make sure it is secured so that it doesn't fall into the brooders or shavings

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

If the heat lamp is secured, how does the fire start? Not trying to be an ass just genuinely curious since this seems like a topic people are either all in or all out about. I've brooded chicks with heat lamps for years. You said yours was secured but a fire started anyway.