MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WBTW) – As the temperature drops, many of you may use space heaters and generators to keep you warm, but before you do, local fire departments are asking you to recognize the hidden dangers behind carbon monoxide.
It’s commonly known as the silent killer because it’s a gas you can’t see, smell, or taste, and Lt. Jonathan Evans with Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue says that’s what makes it so dangerous.
Evans says to make sure carbon monoxide detectors are installed on every level of your home.
Things like generators should be kept outside where they are well-ventilated, clean out your fireplace chimney regularly, leave gas and charcoal grills outside, and don’t leave cars running in enclosed garages.
Evans says carbon monoxide will give you flu-like symptoms and could make you unconscious, and that’s why they want to make sure everyone has at least one detector installed inside their home.
“For the city residents, we can help them get one or if they buy one, we can install it to make sure that it’s installed properly because unlike a smoke detector it needs to be in a different place. So, we just want to be sure if you have one that you’ve installed it properly and that it’s working,” said Evans.
Evans says to call your local fire department and ask them to come install the detector for you. Many times, he says they will give you a detector for free.
If you plan to use a heater to heat your home, Evans says to opt for electric heaters over gas heaters.
