Carbon Monoxide (CO): The Invisible Killer

As temperatures drop and households rely more on heaters, fireplaces, and generators, the risk of carbon monoxide exposure increases. Symptoms often resemble seasonal illness, such as headache, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue, which makes CO poisoning easy to overlook.

In the early morning hours of December 1, 2025, Central Pierce Fire & Rescue firefighters responded to a single-family home in the Puyallup area after a working carbon monoxide alarm awakened a family. A stove burner had been accidentally left on overnight. When crews arrived, carbon monoxide levels inside the home measured between 4 and 12 parts per million and quickly returned to zero once the home was ventilated. For reference, the World Health Organization recommends breathing no more than 3.5 parts per million over a 24-hour period.

Without a functioning carbon monoxide alarm, levels could have continued to rise while the family slept, potentially leading to serious injury or worse. This incident is a clear example of how early warning from a CO alarm can turn a potentially deadly situation into a safe outcome.

To help minimize this risk, we are committed to providing free CO alarms to residents of our fire district. In 2024, we were awarded a $250,000 federal grant, provided by the Consumer Product Safety Commission and authorized through the Nicholas and Zachary Burt Memorial Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2022. This two-year grant has funded over 4,000 alarms in our District, and we will continue to provide free carbon monoxide alarms, installed by our crews, for the remainder of the grant period.

Visit our Carbon Monoxide page for information and available resources.