Sault Ste. Marie carbon monoxide scare prompts safety warning across the north

Officials in northern Ontario are sharing a seasonal safety reminder, urging residents to remove snow from vents and gas meters.

Officials in northern Ontario are sharing a seasonal safety reminder, urging residents to clear snow from vents and gas meters.

“Definitely with the meter, if there’s an unforeseen emergency where our crews need to come out and shut the gas off, we want clear … access (so) we can shut the gas off to your home,” said Chris Ridler, Enbridge Gas manager of utilization for northeastern Ontario.

“Also your appliance vents to that. If they’re blocked or clogged, there could be exhaust backdraft in your home, potentially causing co issues or malfunctions.”

In Sault Ste Marie last the weekend, firefighters were called to a multi-residential building over concerns about carbon monoxide.

Building was evacuated

“There were notable points of carbon monoxide in the building,” said Aaron Gravelle, Sault Fire Services public education officer.

“So, then we started evacuating, removing residents from the building, assisting them out of the building.”

There were no injuries, but one person was taken to hospital as a precaution. Gravelle said Enbridge was called and a technician was dispatched.

“The technician determined that carbon monoxide was being brought into the building from vents that were blocked outside from snow,” he said.

Gravelle said clearing vents are not always top of mind when a snowstorm hits.

“We’ve had a significant amount of snow in northern Ontario in the last couple of weeks,” he said.

“You know, even you get some of those really windy days where the snow starts drifting and it blocks up against the vents. Some people have their vents on the roof, some people have them on the outside of their home. Some are lower to the snowbanks, and those snowbanks can build up quickly.”

Safety tips

Ridler said tips include using your hand or a gentle brush to remove the snow.

“No sharp objects. Do not try to be kicking any ice or whatnot away from it. The other piece is you want to look overhead, too, if there’s any overhang ice or a large amount of snow on your roof,” he said.

“You want to try and remove that, too, safely away from the meter. So if you know things do melt or warm up, that it’s not going to fall on top and create additional damage either.”

Ridler said, in extreme cases, Enbridge can come and remove the snow if a resident is unable to do so.

“We ask if you’re not able to do that, and you reach out to a neighbour or if you have local family or friends to come by and help out with it,” he said.

“But as a last resort, you can contact Enbridge and a representative can come out and provide some assistance.”

Gravelle said residents are generally aware that snow should be removed from vents and gas meters.

“We do see a handful of calls every year,” he said.

“We do get regular carbon monoxide calls. They could be from a faulty gas fireplace, sometimes from a fire, an actual wood-burning fireplace or wood stove, clothes dryer. But people generally are pretty knowledgeable about cleaning vents.”

While clearing vents is an important first step, he said a change to the Ontario fire code that took effect Jan. 1 adds another layer of protection.

“If you have a fuel-burning appliance in your home, or an attached garage, or a fireplace, anything like that, you must have a carbon monoxide alarm, and it has to be on every story of your home now,” he said.

He said now is as good to do a floor-by-floor safety check: clear your vents, test your alarms, and ensure you’re compliant with the new laws.