SUBLETTE COUNTY, Wyo. — An incident last week served as a reminder to the public and public officials about the importance of Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarms.
Sublette County Unified Fire was dispatched to a CO incident Wednesday, January 8. Firefighters from Battalion 1 responded to a home where a family, including three young children, was found waiting outside.
The family explained the CO alarm that was recently installed in the kitchen area had activated with a loud alarm. Firefighters investigated the home and discovered high levels of Carbon Monoxide coming from the stovetop, possibly due to incomplete combustion. Firefighters advised the homeowners not to use the stovetop until it could be checked by a professional. Sublette County EMS checked the family members for possible Carbon Monoxide exposure to be sure everyone was safe. The family did the right thing by going outside immediately and calling 911.
SCUF would like to remind residents to have working CO alarms in their homes on every level and outside each separate sleeping area. CO alarms are designed to alarm before potentially life-threatening levels of carbon monoxide are reached. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 400 people die each year in the United States from Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Proper installation, operation, and maintenance of fuel-burning appliances in the home is the most important factor in reducing the risk of CO poisoning. At low levels, CO poisoning symptoms can include dizziness, headache or flu-like symptoms. At high levels, victims can experience mental confusion or vomiting, and can even die. At extremely high levels, it is possible to lose consciousness suddenly without experiencing less severe symptoms.
