With the dumping of huge amounts of snow in the Simcoe County area over the past week, local residents are being reminded to inspect the vents around their homes to ensure they are not blocked by ice or buried in snow.
Vents around the house for chimneys, clothes dryers, furnaces and water heaters are meant to discharge unwanted gases, which can be dangerous if they are not properly vented from the home.
Snow drifts can build up quickly in the spaces between houses when it is windy, burying vent pipes.
“Homeowners are urged to walk around their homes to ensure all vents are at least three feet clear of snow and ice,” Barrie Fire Deputy Chief Justin Gilbert told BarrieToday, an affiliate of BradfordToday and InnisfilToday.
Blocked vents can cause a build up of carbon monoxide (CO) in the building which can be fatal.
Homeowners should also ensure they have working CO alarms on all levels of their house.
“Barrie Fire has responded to several calls over the past week for CO alarm activations with a build-up of CO in the house due to blocked vents,” Gilbert said.
“Thanks to early detection and warning, there have been no injuries or fatalities," he added.