A carbon monoxide alarm likely saved the lives of an Alvinston family Wednesday night.
Brooke-Alvinston Fire Chief Jeff McArthur said crews were called to a home on Francis Street around 9:30 p.m.
He said the family of four, and two pets were evacuated for the night when crews detected high levels of CO in the home.
"The crews did investigate and they found the furnace was actually faulty, so there was quite high levels of carbon monoxide in the house, and quite frankly, the CO alarms would've likely saved their lives that night," he said.
McArthur said without the alarm, the leak would've gone undetected.
"That is the challenge with carbon monoxide-- it's tasteless and odourless, so you can not sense it without a working CO alarm," he said.
McArthur said if your CO alarm sounds, don't hesitate to call 9-1-1 and evacuate your home. He said around 15 per cent of the calls they received in 2018 were for CO alarms.
Carbon monoxide alarms are required by law for any home in Ontario with a fuel-burning appliance, fireplace or an attached garage.
McArthur recommended for best practice that an alarm should be placed on every story of a home.
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