A family is safe after a natural gas leak in their house in the 3400 Block of 9th Avenue in Castlegar on Friday.
According to Castlegar fire chief Sam Lattanzio, the incident occurred at around 3:20 p.m. due to a leak in a small valve.
After the carbon monoxide alarm went off, a mother with two children and two dogs safely evacuated the home.
The mother called 911 from outside and firefighters and a Fortis Gas representative quickly attended the scene.
Upon arrival, crews checked to make sure the family was okay and that the house was safe for occupancy. The leak was also repaired.
“This family did exactly the right thing by calling 911 in this situation,” said Lattanzio.
“Unless it’s something obvious like your batteries need changing, you should always call 911 if your carbon monoxide detector goes off or if you smell gas.”
In this particular incident, Lattanzio noted the family had an up-to-date carbon monoxide detector.
The incident serves as an important reminder to install detectors in your home, according to Lattanzio.
“You should make sure you have carbon monoxide detectors and smoke alarms that are less than 10 years old,” said Lattanzio.
“You’re also advised to have a detector in every bedroom or sleeping area of your house.”
Preventing indoor smoking, keeping the door between your house and the garage closed and not idling vehicles in your garage are other steps the Canadian government says can help to reduce the threat of carbon monoxide in your home.
READ MORE: With carbon monoxide, it doesn’t take a lot to be deadly
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