Navarre, FL – A Navarre woman has been found dead in here home.
Santa Rosa County deputies believe carbon monoxide poisoning killed the elderly woman and her dog during last week’s ice storm.
A neighbor had not seen the woman for several days and the fire department found high levels of carbon monoxide in the home.
Investigators say it appears she was using her stove for heat, which can generate the deadly gas.
But they’re waiting on toxicology results to confirm the cause of death.
Channel 3′ Jenise Fernandez tells us what you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones from this silent killer.
Inside this home in Navarre, an elderly woman and her dog were found dead, carbon monoxide poisoning is believed to be the cause.
Deputies say the stove and space heater were on and seals covered every area of ventilation.
“It’s a by product of incomplete combustion whenever there’s a gas heating element in the home or even in your car”
Lt. Scott Averill with the Escambia County fire rescue says there are ways to protect yourself from carbon monoxide.
“It’s the gas heating elements that can cause carbon monoxide… There shouldn’t be a problem”
The amount of carbon monoxide exposure that can cause harm varies from person to person.
But, you’ll usually start to experience nausea and headache.
“If you’re exposed to it longer or if the exposure is heavy with a lot of gas inside the home…Actually go unconscious”
Firefighters also have to protect themselves from carbon monoxide poisoning whenever they’re sent on a call.
They use this detector, called the rattler, that alerts them if there’s carbon monoxide inside a home.
“We take the same measures we would if we would go to a structure fire….. Until our investigation is complete”
Some ways to protect yourself, is to have a carbon monoxide detector near the heating system inside your home.
Firefighters also recommend having someone check your heating systems once a year.