In a week that has seen several cases of carbon monoxide poisoning in B.C., Langford Fire is trying to ensure it doesn't happen to anyone else.
Firefighters are speaking out about what you can and should do to prevent against carbon monoxide poisoning.
For starters, Langford Fire recommends that every homeowner have a CO detector in their home.
"Even if you don't have natural gas or carbon monoxide in your house, we recommend that you do have one in your home to keep you and your family safe," said Capt. Paul Obersteller.
On Wednesday, 13 people at an office in Vancouver breathed in the toxic fumes are were treated by paramedics.
Thursday, a family of five in Barriere, including a seven-month-old, were airlifted to Vancouver after suffering carbon monoxide poisoning.
"They do call carbon monoxide the silent killer and it's because it is odourless, colourless, tasteless and you can't see it," said Lance Caven of Langford Fire.
Initial symptoms of CO poisoning include headaches, dizziness, nausea, confusion and drowsiness.
Experts say during winter, cases of poisonings spike with more emissions of unburnt fuels from gas appliances and even wood-burning fires.
Even without those appliances your home could still be infiltrated by carbon monoxide as car emissions, even from outdoor vehicles, can lead to poisoning.
In the booming West Shore, firefighters say there's a new culprit.
"We've had an instance here in the City of Langford where blasting in a construction area has released carbon monoxide, and it has found its way into a home," said Caven.
Experts say every home should have at least one detector, ideally one per floor, and preferably a plug-in model – so that its batteries don't die unbeknownst to the homeowner.
