Firefighters Save Tortoise From Fire

[MzNENA]

Article I came across that will definitely have me keeping a closer eye on our clamp lamp fixture for Squirtle at home.

Thank goodness these firefighters got to Mervyn in time!

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co...emen-rescue-tortoise-wythenshawe-flat-6640477

 

[sibi]

Poor lil guy. Lamps of all sorts can fall and cause a fire. I had a one of those floor stands. My two year sully knocked it over in the bedroom. It bur ed a hole through the carpet straight through the cement floor. If I had not gone into the room to check on him, my house could have burned down. Now, I anchor any lamps to the wall where no four legged creature can get to it.

 

[northernturtleman]

i am thinking i change my set up after reading the artical. i currently have a rubbermade tub with a "clamp" style heat lamp and this scares me. what suggestion or alternitives should i use?

 

[MzNENA]

Ooh goodness. In that case, a burned hole is not good thing to see but is definitely a good reminder of how bad it could have gotten. Animals as well as normal elements around the house can cause accidents such as these at any time & it is our job to keep a look out at all times to help prevent these matters :s

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I have the exact same set up currently.

Plastic storage bin.
Clamp lamp for both my mercury UVB light & CHE.

I've already caught the clamp lamp slipping down almost onto one of the plastic plants in the enclosure while holding the CHE. Luckily caused no harm or damage :-/

 

[Pokeymeg]

Scary story with a great ending!!

And a good reminder for all of us here to check our light setups and secure things better if there are any doubts about safety! While metal stands are ugly, they are more secure than clamp-style lights.

 

[TortieLuver]

Glad to hear Mervyn was fine and so was the house. In November, we had an indoor enclosure and were having a new heat system put in our place when one of the guys bumped the clamp and it fell into the enclosure. it got so hot and real fast that it burned through the container...luckily I was home and noticed it...could have been worse if left all day. I have never had a clamp problem just fall or become dislodged from how I set it up. That was a 125 watt bulb.

 

[AZtortMom]

Good man! I used a 2x2 under the neck of my lamps for safety in case the clamps went because I didn't trust them

 

[Yvonne G]

In my opinion, the best way to secure lamps in tortoise habitats is by hanging them either from the ceiling, or from a sturdy stand.

 

[lynnedit]

Hanging is preferable.
Sometimes when I can't do that, I use a short piece of wood as mentioned under the clamp of the lamp.
Then I put on a 'C' clamp through the middle of the lamp clamp base so it won't slip.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/G-clamp.jpg

 

[AZtortMom]

In my opinion, the best way to secure lamps in tortoise habitats is by hanging them either from the ceiling, or from a sturdy stand.

I agree completely. When we finished our new enclosure the heat lamps are sitting on a screen which is built into the top of the night box so they don't come in contact with anything. The other tube lights are suspended from the ceiling

 

[Joanne]

mine are like bendy bedroom reading light fixtures that are screwed onto the wall of the enclosure. Glad the tortoise was ok! I liked the line about the firefighters putting the tort in the shower with a carrot! Just made me laugh imagining it!

 

[AZtortMom]

mine are like bendy bedroom reading light fixtures that are screwed onto the wall of the enclosure. Glad the tortoise was ok! I liked the line about the firefighters putting the tort in the shower with a carrot! Just made me laugh imagining it!

I know, wasn't that awesome

 

[bouaboua]

This is how I secure my clamp lamp fixture. Added safety piece of mind.

 

[MzNENA]

Very nice! And simple enough

 

[katsbabey]

I took an old wooden hanger put lamp clamps on that cup hook in ceiling and hang to your height from there..

 

[AZtortMom]

Nicely done!

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this is what we did with ours. One on each end of the of the night box