A salamander heater is any of a variety of portable forced-air or convection heaters, often kerosene-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.