Warning issued for halogen lights

Rocky Mountain News

Published November 2, 2006 at midnight

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The Thornton Fire Department has issued a warning about using halogen lamps that get much hotter than ordinary incandescent light bulbs.

Spokeswoman Lisa Wilson said last Sunday that a fire was reported in an apartment at Summit Apartments at 101 E. 88th Ave.

She said the occupant was alerted by a smoke alarm and found a blaze that had been ignited by a piece of bedding draped over a halogen torchiere lamp. The heat from the bulb ignited the fabric, which dropped to the floor, spreading the fire to a carpet and a mattress.

The occupant was able to extinguish the blaze before firefighters arrived.

Wilson explained that halogen torchiere floor lamps use tubular halogen bulbs rather than the incandescent bulbs that are more commonly used in lamps. These bulbs operate at temperatures much hotter than regular light bulbs, and can pose a higher fire risk if curtains, clothing, or other combustible materials come in contact with or are near the bulb.

For these reasons, the Thornton Fire Department recommends people who own these lamps take the following extra precautions:

• Keep combustibles away from the bulbs.

• Never place the lamp near curtains, other window treatments or fabrics of any kind.

• Turn the lamp off when you leave a room or leave home.

• Only use a halogen bulb that is 300 watts or less.

• Keep pets and children away from the lamps, as these lamps can easily tip over.

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