UPDATED:
Langford Fire Rescue is warning residents about the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) after responding to six incidents in the past two months where the deadly gas was present inside a home.
In two of those cases, ambulances were called to treat residents for CO poisoning.
“In every incident, it was a carbon monoxide detector that alerted the occupants that there was a serious and life-threatening problem inside the house,” said Langford Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Chris Aubrey. “Those inside had no idea there was a problem until the detector started to sound.”
On average, Aubrey said, the department only gets a few carbon monoxide related calls in a year.
This recent rash of incidents has the department worried that a number of residents – those who don’t have detectors – may be living in dangerous situations.
“It’s a concern for us,” he said.
Carbon monoxide is a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas that is produced when fuels such as natural gas, gasoline, oil, propane, wood or coal are burned. CO levels can reach deadly proportions if there is poor ventilation or equipment isn’t working correctly.
But Aubrey warned it’s not just older equipment that needs to be monitored. One of the recent calls was to a new home, which had two gas fireplaces.
“Fortis determined the seals around the glass weren’t installed correctly,” he said, explaining the cause of the carbon monoxide leak from the new fireplaces.
Another recent call was to a home that didn’t have a wood burning stove or natural gas. Investigation determined the likely cause was a car idling outside the home, Aubrey said.
Cases such as this one are why the department is recommending that all homes have carbon monoxide detectors installed. The units are also available in combination with smoke detectors, which are popular in new buildings and can help save a little bit of money.
“It’s something most people don’t even consider,” Aubrey said. With CO detectors costing roughly between $30 and $65, he added, it’s an expense that could potentially save lives.
Given CO’s invisible properties, many people don’t realize when they have been exposed to it, he said. “Carbon monoxide poisoning has similar symptoms as the flu, so it can often be discounted as nothing more than just not feeling well. Without a detector, you would never know just how dangerous the conditions in your home have become.”
Unlike a smoke detector, where the source setting off an alarm is usually easy to detect, a carbon monoxide alarm doesn’t have an obvious source, Aubrey said, so it’s important to make sure detectors are in proper working order and not placed right beside a device such as a wood burning stove.
“They’re only effective if they’re working,” he said.
CO detectors should be located on every level of your home. They should be checked regularly, just like smoke detectors, and replaced every seven years. They are available at most home supply stores.
For more information, contact Langford’s Fire Prevention Unit at 250-478-9555.
katie@goldstreamgazette.com