Carbon monoxide (CO) is often referred to as the silent killer, given that it is odorless and colorless. Montana ranks number 3 among all states for deaths per capita due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Across the nation, more than 400 people die each year due to CO poisoning.
On November 9th, two Cascade County residents died when their RV heater malfunctioned. Auto Ignition Gas Burner
Steven Tucker, Great Falls Fire Rescue captain, explains, "The amount of calls goes up in the winter due to colder temperatures. People try to heat their houses with their stoves and things they shouldn't be." Heating systems account for over 30% of all CO poisoning deaths.
Great Falls Fire Rescue recommends having a CO detector on every level of your home. While the elderly are most. susceptible to CO poisoning, it can affect any age group.
Tucker explains, "If you start to feel light-headed or you notice somebody else in the house has really rosy cheeks — those can be tell tale signs of carbon monoxide poisoning."
Other symptoms include dizziness, headache, chest pain, and weakness.
Many parts of central Montana have seen heavy snow throughout November, which Captain Tucker says can be a danger to residents: "In wintertime, obviously we get a lot snow and that will cover up vent pipes on your home. You want to make sure those are clear when we get high snow. If your power does go out, you don't want to be heating with your gas stove or anything that's not designed to be heated. Even if you have propane heaters, those aren't intended for indoor use." Any heating system should be checked annually by a technician.
Gas Burner The number of CO poisoning-related deaths has declined over the last couple of centuries. However, to keep it that way it is important to to stay vigilant and take the steps to minimize the chance of tragedy.