Not a fire hazard when kept at herp-related temperatures, but not a good idea in any case.

Wood cages insulate well, so heating from above is a great option. If you are bent on heating with a heat pad, I suggest putting one inside the cage.

You can get an Ultratherm heat mat for example, tape it or use velcro to attach it to the bottom of a piece of ceramic tile or a piece of expanded PVC (you can get PVC scraps at sign shops plenty big enough for a ball python) and put that in the cage. Works a whole lot better than heating through wood. Use some spacers to elevate the assembly off the cage floor just a little bit if using a substrate like newspaper or kraft paper.
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Mark

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