SAN ANTONIO — Just three days before Christmas, a family loses everything they have in a fire on the northeast side of town that started from a heat lamp for their chicken coop.
It happened just after 11:30 p.m. Wednesday on the 4000 block of Briarcrest Street off of Bulverde Road.
The batallion chief tells us a brooder heat light, which was being used to keep their chickens warm, may have been the cause of the fire.
When crews got there, they found heavy smoke and flames coming from the roof.
Thankfully, no one was home at the time, but the fire did kill seven chickens and one cat is still missing.
Firefighters says the coop and light were very close to the house, making it easy for the home to catch fire.
The home is a total loss, and a truck parked outside was damaged as well.
As the Arctic blast moves in, SAFD says they do have some tips to prevent a fire:
- Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment
- Install a carbon monoxide alarm
- Don’t use your oven to heat your home
- And if you’re going to use a portable heater, plug it into a wall socket, not a power strip, and remember to turn it off when you leave the room or go to bed
SAFD says the holiday season presents more fire risks.
You can visit firesafesa.com for more tips on how to get your home ready.
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