A salamander heater is any of a variety of portable forced-air or convection

Convection

Convection is the movement of molecules within fluids and rheids. It cannot take place in solids, since neither bulk current flows nor significant diffusion can take place in solids....

 heater

Heater

A heater is an object that emits heat or causes another body to achieve a higher temperature. In a household or domestic setting, heaters are usually appliances whose purpose is to generate heating...

s, often kerosene

Kerosene

Kerosene, sometimes spelled kerosine in scientific and industrial usage, also known as paraffin or paraffin oil in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Ireland and South Africa, is a combustible hydrocarbon liquid. The name is derived from Greek keros...

-fueled, used in ventilated areas for worksite comfort. Salamander heaters are most often found at construction sites. Depending on style, they can also be referred to as "torpedo furnaces", "salamander furnaces", or simply, "salamanders".

Salamander heaters date at least to the 1920s. In the early 1940s, W.L. Scheu of Scheu Manufacturing Company, a leading producer of temporary portable space heating equipment, developed the modern the Salamander heater, to provide warmth, thereby allowing construction crews to work in inclement weather. With the introduction of the Salamander heater in the 1940s, sales spread across the nation, and by the 1950s, to Europe.