January is the riskiest time of year for carbon monoxide poisonings, and one of the most dangerous for residential fires, according to data from local fire departments and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
And with the price of heating fuel expected to average $3.11 per gallon in 2008, up 14.2 percent from an average of $2.72 in 2007, Maryland fire officials are worried people will choose less safe methods to heat their homes, putting their families at risk.
“When the costs escalate, we see people go for alternative forms of heat like fireplaces and kerosene space heaters,” said Mark Brady, spokesman for the Prince George’s County Fire Department. “There’s increased risk for those devices –fire risk but also exposure to carbon monoxide.”
The poisonous gas, often called the silent killer for its colorless, odorless and tasteless qualities, also arises from wood-burning stoves and high-power tools. It builds to toxic levels when confined to an unventilated area.
Carbon monoxide was responsible for an estimated 15,000 emergency-room visits and 500 unintentional deaths nationwide in 2007, according to the CDC.
Using data collected between 1999-2004, Maryland saw 46 total deaths throughout those six years.
A Rockville Pike man died earlier this year when his car was accidentally left running in the garage, according to Montgomery County officials.
The same risk factors associated with carbon monoxide poisoning can cause fires, too.
“From a firefighter’s perspective, we don’t like space heaters,” said Pete Peringer, a spokesman for the Montgomery County
Fire Department. “But as a general rule, give a space heater space, especially around pets or children, whose clothing can catch fire.”
Peringer also recommended maintaining both the exhaust and the electrical components of heating systems, and disposing of fireplace embers in metal containers outside.
