SOUTH KINGSTOWN — Chief Steven Pinch reports that the Union Fire District of South Kingstown responded to a carbon monoxide incident at a residence earlier today.

On Wednesday, Aug. 19, at approximately 8 a.m., the Union Fire District responded to a 911 call for an odor coming from the basement of a home on Park Avenue.

Upon arrival, crews discovered a high concentration of carbon monoxide in the home and began to thoroughly ventilate it for approximately 45 minutes.

Due to an issue with the furnace, two residents of the home were evaluated at the scene by South Kingstown EMS.

The scene was then turned over to service personnel to repair the problem.

“There are several steps residents can take to protect against and know the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning,” Chief Pinch said. “We encourage anyone who has questions about carbon monoxide poisoning to contact the Union Fire District.”

The Union Fire District can be reached at 401-789-8354.

The Union Fire District would like to remind residents of several important safety tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding carbon monoxide safety:

• If your carbon monoxide detector is sounding, call 911 immediately.
• Have your heating system, water heater and any other gas or coal-burning appliances serviced by a qualified technician every year.
• Do not use portable flameless chemical heaters indoors.
• Never use a generator inside your home, basement or garage or less than 20 feet from any window, door or vent; fatal levels of carbon monoxide can be produced in just minutes.
• Have your chimney checked and cleaned every year, and make sure your fireplace damper is open before lighting a fire and well after the fire is extinguished.
• Make sure your gas appliances are vented properly.
• Never use your oven for heating your home.
• Never let a car idle in the garage.