A very close call...CO

deandean

If you have an open fire or a stove, you need to have a carbon monoxide alarm in the room.
linky

Fumes woman 'lucky to be alive'

Firefighters have rescued a woman from a smoke-filled house in Co Antrim

Tuesday December 04 2012
A 27-year-old woman rescued from a smoke-filled house in Co Antrim is lucky to be alive, the fire service said.

Firefighters were called to the property in Leyland Heights, Ballycastle, at about 11pm on Monday night.

Jim Murphy, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Group Commander, said crews using specialist equipment detected fatally high levels of carbon monoxide.

Mr Murphy said: "This young lady lay down in a room for possibly up to two hours, breathing in carbon monoxide. She's very, very fortunate to be alive. Had she been left for much longer I think easily she could have died."

It is understood that a plastic bag had been thrown on to a fire and had opened halfway up the chimney, causing it to block.

Mr Murphy said: "The only thing that should be put on a fire is fuel. This bag shot up the chimney and was blocking fumes. You do not always get a strong smoky smell."

The woman was given oxygen at the scene before being taken to hospital by ambulance.

Mr Murphy has urged householders to install carbon monoxide detectors.

Billy Bunting

Carbon Monoxide is produced by incomplete combustion of any fossil fuel, Gas, Oil, Wood, Coal, Turf, or Charcoal, so we should all be getting used to using detectors but not using them as a means of forgoing servicing of our heating boilers and stoves.

shane0007

Last week I took delivery of a personal CO alarm, the Kane 77, on the good advice from RobbieG.
Since I got it, it has alarmed twice, once at 144ppm and again today it went off the scale. It's maximum reading is 999ppm!
I would strongly advice every boiler service person to get one.

Hootanany

I've just put one in my own house in the last hour

M cebee

deandean wrote: »

If you have an open fire or a stove, you need to have a carbon monoxide alarm in the room.
linky

Fumes woman 'lucky to be alive'

Firefighters have rescued a woman from a smoke-filled house in Co Antrim

Tuesday December 04 2012
A 27-year-old woman rescued from a smoke-filled house in Co Antrim is lucky to be alive, the fire service said.

Firefighters were called to the property in Leyland Heights, Ballycastle, at about 11pm on Monday night.

Jim Murphy, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Group Commander, said crews using specialist equipment detected fatally high levels of carbon monoxide.

Mr Murphy said: "This young lady lay down in a room for possibly up to two hours, breathing in carbon monoxide. She's very, very fortunate to be alive. Had she been left for much longer I think easily she could have died."

It is understood that a plastic bag had been thrown on to a fire and had opened halfway up the chimney, causing it to block.

Mr Murphy said: "The only thing that should be put on a fire is fuel. This bag shot up the chimney and was blocking fumes. You do not always get a strong smoky smell."

The woman was given oxygen at the scene before being taken to hospital by ambulance.

Mr Murphy has urged householders to install carbon monoxide detectors.

wasn't it a discarded.plastic bag that resulted in 3 deaths not so long ago
same problem CO

Robbie.G

There are more co poisioning incidents from solid fuel than from gas and oil combined in the uk they don't keep statistics here

deandean

M cebee wrote: »

wasn't it a discarded.plastic bag that resulted in 3 deaths not so long ago
same problem CO

Yes it was. Same circumstances. Thats what scared me about this latest case. I bought CO alarms as christmas presents last year for all family members with an open fire.

DGOBS

Was a similar circumstance that wiped out a father, his two children and two dogs this time last year.

CO alarms are as little as €20 for 5 years protection

coylemj

DGOBS wrote: »

CO alarms are as little as €20 for 5 years protection

Do they have a set lifespan?

Should I install one in the room with a fake (gas) coal fire?