WINNIPEG -- The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service is issuing a warning after four people were evacuated from a home filled with carbon monoxide.
According to the WFPS, on Friday at 1:05 p.m., first responders were called to a medical emergency at a home on Maralbo Avenue East near St. Mary’s Road.
When crews arrived at the house, portable carbon monoxide alarms attached to their equipment activated, alerting them to the presence of carbon monoxide in the home. WFPS said the monitors found levels of 80 parts per million (ppm) within the residence.
All four residents of the home were immediately evacuated. WFPS said they were treated by on-scene paramedics and all taken to hospital in stable condition.
DANGERS OF CARBON MONOXIDE
As a result of the incident WFPS is reminding residents about the extreme danger of carbon monoxide, a colourless, odourless, tasteless gas produced by the combustion process.
The fire service says carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms are flu-like and include nausea, dizziness, confusion, vision and hearing loss, but no fever.
To prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, the WFPS recommends:
- Never idling vehicles in an attached garage, even if the door is open.
- Having fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, wood-burning fireplaces, and gas dryers cleaned and checked annually by a qualified service technician.
- Ensuring all fresh air intake vents, exhaust vents, and chimneys are clear of snow, insulation, leaves, bird nests, lint, and debris.
- Making sure wood stoves are properly installed and vented.
- Not operating gasoline-powered engines, charcoal or propane barbecues or grills, or kerosene stoves, indoors or in enclosed spaces.
The WFPS strongly encourages people to install a carbon monoxide alarm on every floor of their home and test them regularly. It asks that if you suspect carbon monoxide in your home or an alarm activates, you exit immediately and then call 911.
