heatmat fire very lucky??????????

[michelleandjacob]

hi everyone just back off hols
while away on holiday left my sons gecko sniper with my dad to luck after give him full instructions and he was quite happy when i left temps ok and settled both dad and sniper . only too get a phone call early wednesday morning one of them ones thats early and you think someone has died.
it was dad saying he had got up at 5.30 checked sniper and his temp was only 61.5 so on full panik and further investigation by him and me on other end off phone the heat mat has fused and scorched kitchen paper thats on it luckly had a apare one in house so dad put it in
and after looking myself in the middle of the heatmat it just looks like a large cigarette burn does this usually happen if so why if not why??
it is a exo terra heat wave mat
have put same heat mat in is this safe

[Sarah-Jayne]

Was it controlled by a thermostat?

[michelleandjacob]

yes it was conrolled by a habistat

[Sarah-Jayne]

Hmm not sure what happened then...I have been told of heat mats causing fires but never believed it

[michelleandjacob]

hope someone will but thanks for your reply

[tinkrebel]

I had one once that burnt newspaper in the bottom of my iguana's viv. Didn't realise he'd scratched or chewed on the wire and had then either pee'd on it or spilt water on it. But his viv filled up with smoke and luckily we had just got in and saw what was happening before it was too serious.

[michelleandjacob]

have e mailed exo terra to see if i have faulty one

[fuzzielady]

I had that with one of my heat mats. It was under a tub. I hadn't noticed a nobbled bit on the base of the tub was leaning on the heat mat. The burn appeared at the exact spot.

[michelleandjacob]

the burn was were nothing was on top off it

[Faith]

Did you check to make sure the dial hadnt been turned up, ive never heard of a stat not controlling the temps unless faulty.

Lucky escape for the leo.