Goat causes fire

[mdharris68]

Please do not put space heaters in with your goats. This just made the news around here.


http://www.kcci.com/news/18474099/de...s=des&psp=news

[Minelson]

I'm glad all the people and animals made it out! I am terrified of fire, so I am super careful....always checking things over and over. I do use a space heater in one of my outbuildings. It's hung from the ceiling out of reach of anything on a sturdy chain with an extra wire attachment. It also automatically shuts off if it's knocked over...which it can't cuz it's hanging. I also have a heat lamp in the chicken coop and it would take an army to knock that around...but I don't have it on now and it's -5 outside. May have to turn it on tomorrow night when it hits -17. I only used it once last year. It's scary...but something we have deal with in these colder climates. It's not the goat or the space heater...it's the person who installs it and monitors it's use. Thanks for posting this as a reminder of what can happen if we are not careful

[farmmom]

Originally Posted by Minelson

Thanks for posting this as a reminder of what can happen if we are not careful

This is horrible for that family. I'm so glad everyone got out ok. So many times we try to do something to help our critters, without thinking of the possible dangers.

[goatkid]

I feel bad for the family. I wish people would realize that goats are actually pretty cold hardy animals. It gets real cold in Montana sometimes and I've never used heaters nor heat lamps in the goat houses. I bed the houses with straw and if I have any newborn kids in really cold weather, I bring them in the house and make them bottle babies.

[steff bugielski]

I was involved in two barn fires when I was a teen working at horse farms. Both from space heaters. Horrific memories.

[Lada]

How scary, but it could have been much much worse.

At least the goat didn't burn down an entire city by knocking over its heat source......

[KimM]

I'm glad no one was hurt too but the goat didn't cause the fire. Now it's a scapegoat.

[BethW]

"Cat Alerts Family To Fire Started By Goat"

My, what a headline. It makes it sound as though the goat was a delinquent adolescent playing with matches!

I too am terrified of fire and can't imagine putting a heater anywhere where the goats could reach it. I get a little worried just with their heated bucket, which I keep sitting on a wide board away from the straw.

So sad for the family, though. I believe the article said they had no insurance