Plea from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire to get carbon monoxide detectors
It comes after they rescued a woman rendered unconscious by the gas
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service is calling for more households to get carbon monoxide alarms - after they rescued a women found unconscious.
The gas can be extremely dangerous - and we're urged to protect ourselves.
An incident earlier this month led local firefighters to rescuing a woman rendered unconscious by carbon monoxide, after a smouldering fire seeped smoke into her flat.
Station Manager Shaun Milton said that the woman had been very fortunate:
“A neighbour heard alarms sounding from her flat and called 999. Without that intervention, there could have easily been a loss of life. Carbon monoxide is colourless, odourless and tasteless, and it is also extremely dangerous. Without a CO detector, you have no way of knowing that you’re being poisoned until the damage is already being done.
“CO detectors can be bought in most supermarkets and DIY stores. They’re not expensive and they save lives.”
Carbon monoxide is produced by the incomplete burning of carbon-based fuels, including gas, oil, wood and coal.
Early symptoms of CO poisoning can be confused with food poisoning, viral infections, flu or simple tiredness - but we're told to watch out for headaches, nausea, dizziness, erratic behaviour, loss of vision and drifting in and out of consciousness.
If you or your family experience any of the above symptoms and believe you may have been exposed to carbon monoxide, you should seek urgent medical advice.
While this incident was unusual, most cases of CO poisoning are caused by gas appliances and flues that have not been properly installed or maintained, or are poorly ventilated.
There are signs that you can look for that indicate incomplete combustion is occurring and may result in the production of CO:
- Yellow or orange rather than blue flames (except in fuel effect fires or flueless appliances)
- Soot or yellow/brown staining around or on appliances
- Pilot lights that frequently blow out
- Increased condensation inside windows
There's more advice on the DWFRS website.