How to maintain fire safety around DIY chicken coops

Jan 14, 2024

BENTON CITY, Wash.---

Egg prices are on the rise and with warmer weather around the corner, many people may be looking at getting their own chickens and building a coop at home.

Benton County Fire District #2 tells me chicken coops are great for gathering eggs at home, but are also common fire hazards.

BCFD#2 Public Information Officer John Derderian tells me the materials used in chicken coops for the structure and keeping the chickens warm are what causes most fires.

"Chicken coop fires are very common, especially in winter," says Derderian. "People who are raising chickens put heat lamps in them. One of the things we often run into is those heat lamps either get knocked over and they fall into the bedding of the chickens or they are put just too close to the structural members of the building itself."

Derderian says the best way to prevent fires in a chicken coop is keep the heat lamp away from flammable materials like their pellets and bedding. He also tells me to connect the heat lamp to a protected circuit that will shut off the power to the heat lamp if it shorts out.

Derderian tells me the best thing a homeowner can do if the coop catches on fire is to call 9-1-1.

Derderian also recommends following the correct building codes for your area to ensure the new coop is safe.

UMATILLA, ORE.- Several fires in Umatilla County in the last week have been caused by heat lamps in livestock enclosures.

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