Boothbay Harbor Fire Chief Nick Upham would like to remind home and business owners to clear snow away from any vents or heat source exhaust systems on the outside walls to avoid carbon monoxide (CO) from building up in homes and businesses.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CO is found in fumes produced any time you burn fuel in cars or trucks, small engines, stoves, lanterns, grills, fireplaces, gas ranges, or furnaces. CO can build up indoors and poison people and animals who breathe it.

The most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. CO symptoms are often described as “flu-like.” If you breathe in a lot of CO it can make you pass out or kill you. People who are sleeping or drunk can die from CO poisoning before they have symptoms.