We reported on the fire service intervention on Starzyńskiego Street in the article: The detector alarm saved residents. Carbon monoxide detected in two flats in Bolesławiec

The second situation involving an alarm triggered by carbon monoxide occurred on Tuesday, August 4, after 5:00 p.m. at a block of flats on Łukasiewicza Street. A carbon monoxide detector was triggered in one of the flats. Two units of the State Fire Service are at the scene. Firefighters are ventilating and checking the remaining flats in the building. The building manager has been notified of the situation.

LIVE camera pointed at the block of flats on Łukasiewicza Street:

Kamera

Why does the carbon monoxide problem worsen during heatwaves?

Such high temperatures can cause problems with natural ventilation in residential buildings. What happens then?

  • The temperature difference between the air inside the building and the air outside becomes smaller. Natural ventilation works best when it is clearly warmer inside than outside (e.g. in winter). Then warmer, lighter air rises through the chimney and creates a draft.
  • During a heatwave, it may be just as warm or even warmer outside than in the flat, so the natural draft becomes very weak or disappears.
  • Wind and local pressure differences can additionally cause the direction of airflow to reverse. Instead of extracting air from the flat, the duct may start forcing it inside. This phenomenon is called backdraft.
  • If a gas water heater, space heater or boiler with an open combustion chamber is operating in the flat, combustion gases may not be properly discharged and may return to the room. They may include carbon monoxide (CO).

That is why extra caution should be taken during heatwaves. It is worth ventilating the flat regularly, not covering ventilation grilles, and making sure that chimney and ventilation ducts are in good working order and undergo periodic inspections.

Installing a carbon monoxide detector is also the best protection. This small device can alert residents to a hazard in time and save lives. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and highly toxic gas, so its presence cannot be detected by the senses.

If the detector signals the presence of carbon monoxide or symptoms that may indicate poisoning appear – such as a headache, dizziness, nausea or weakness – ventilate the room immediately, leave the building and call emergency services.