Sioux City, IA – A Newell family of eight was sent to the hospital from Carbon Monoxide poisoning early Wednesday morning.
The family’s condition is currently unknown.
The fatal gas can be linked to bad weather conditions, especially in times when Siouxland receives several inches of snow and there are tools to help detect how much of the gas is lingering in your home.
Carbon Monoxide is a deadly, odorless, colorless gas that kills about 170 people per year, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The gas is emitted through your in home appliances like a furnace, hot water heaters and fire places and when we receive several inches of snow, Sioux City fire department says residents should check outside vents to ensure that they are not covered. Because if not, the results can be fatal.
“We want to make sure that those gasses are released into the air and not coming back into our home. So it’s important that we look around our house to make sure that the vents are clear of any snow or ice build up in front of it. Same thing with our gas meters, we want to make sure they’re clear and free of anything,” said Joe Rodriguez, Sioux City Deputy Fire Marshal.
Steve Kistner the General Manager at Kalin’s Indoor Comfort who offers residential services, says that’s not the only thing home owners should make a note of.
“A lot of people will start their vehicles in their attached garage and warm them up in the winter and as a result, that carbon monoxide, even though it seems like the garage doors up…it does enter the home and over time can become a risk,” said Kistner.
Carbon Monoxide or CO is measured in parts per million or ppm. Kistner recommends a low level CO monitor to observe levels even before reaching deadly exposure.
“This would indicate at different levels so one threshold is 15 ppm, which sounds very low, it seems low, but that’s when the first risk comes in for those that might youngor those that are older and have breathing difficulties,” said Kistner.
Instillation for the low level Carbon Monoxide monitor will run for about $200 and should be placed at eye level in either your bedroom or living area for accurate readings.