Avoid Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning during power outages

If you lose power at home during cold weather, avoid heating your home with heating sources that can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.

• Do not operate generators or other gasoline-powered machinery indoors or in the garage.
• Avoid space heaters that burn fuel unless there is an exhaust vent.
  
• Do not cook or heat with charcoal barbeques inside your home.
  
• Do not warm up your vehicle by idling the engine inside an attached garage.
  

If you are seeking warmth until your power is restored, seek out safe options. Stay with friends or relatives who have power, or at a shelter. For information on shelters, contact the Shelter Clearinghouse at (360) 695-9677. Shelter Information is also available by dialing 2-1-1.

Carbon monoxide is a poisonous and odorless gas that cannot be seen or smelled and that can kill a person in minutes. Carbon monoxide is produced whenever any fuel such as gas, oil, kerosene, wood, or charcoal is burned.

For more information on preventing carbon monoxide poisoning after an emgergency, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site at http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/cofacts.asp. For additional disaster preparedness and response information, contact the Southwest Washington Chapter of the American Red Cross at (360) 693-5821, or visit the Red Cross Web site at http://swwashington.redcross.org/.