SUN PRAIRIE, Wis. — As the winds pick up and blow the snow that fell earlier this week, it’s important to make sure that snow doesn’t drift against homes and block vents that could cause carbon monoxide to build up inside, fire officials warn.
A number of heating sources can create carbon monoxide, including propane and kerosene heaters. Vehicle emissions can also be a source of the colorless, odorless gas, so it’s important for those warming up a vehicle to do so in a well-ventilated place, Assistant Sun Prairie Fire Chief Bill Sullivan said.
“Even having the (garage) door open sometimes doesn’t allow all that carbon monoxide to vent out of the garage if the wind is blowing in the right direction,” he cautioned.
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Gas and wood fireplaces can also be a concern.
“We have actually had a number of incidents where somebody thinks that they’ve put out their log fire for the evening and it kind of smolders and when it smolders it’s still putting off carbon monoxide in the home,” Sullivan said.
He recommends everyone install carbon monoxide detectors on every level of their home, especially if they have gas appliances. Some carbon monoxide detectors, Sullivan added, even have displays that show exactly how much of the gas is in the air.
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Symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure can include headache, nausea, aches and redness of the skin.
“Carbon monoxide is one of those things that the longer you’re exposed to it, one, the more susceptible you could be in future exposures, but also it builds up over time,” he said.
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