Peak Season For This Deadly Threat In Minnesota Arriving Now – How To Protect Yourself

The arrival of cold weather with the changing seasons after our short Minnesota summer brings with it some risks that still claim too many lives, despite most people knowing the risks.

Besides the road-related risks that the colder weather of fall and winter in Minnesota brings, those cooler temperatures also bring with them an uptick in the number of people who encounter the deadly threat of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The chances of exposure to this invisible, odorless gas go up as the temperatures go down each year in Minnesota.

As we close doors and windows for the season, crank up the heat, or fire up equipment for colder-weather activities, the risks of exposure to carbon monoxide (also known as CO) go up.

Deadly effects of carbon monoxide in Minnesota by the numbers

The Minnesota Department of Health reports that, on average, 35 people are hospitalized each year, and an average of 12 people in Minnesota die each year from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Since 2000, around 300 people have died due to CO poisoning in Minnesota.

Of those who fall victim to this silent killer in Minnesota, an overwhelming majority are men. The age groups in the state with the highest numbers of CO deaths are ages 65+ and ages 15-34.

How can you protect yourself from carbon monoxide poisoning?

While there are still risks during summer months from things like campstoves, charcoal grills, and boat motor exhausts, the colder weather months are when most CO poisoning occurrences are reported.

From fuel-burning lanterns and heat sources in hunting shacks or fish houses to running small engines for things like snowmobiles or ice augers while working on them in a garage, there are a lot of recreational activities that increase carbon monoxide poisoning risks.

READ MORE: Minnesota's Most Frustrating Road Probably Isn't The One You're Thinking Of

Even normal household items like furnaces or boilers, gas stoves and ovens, wood stoves and fireplaces, or water heaters and clothes dryers are sources of carbon monoxide in your home.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) says there are some key things you can do to prevent CO poisoning.

First and foremost, making sure you have working carbon monoxide detectors in places like your home or ice fishing house can alert you to dangerous levels of CO. The average detector lasts 5-7 years, depending on the manufacturer, and will need fresh batteries regularly.

In addition, it is important to know which home appliances are fuel-burning and to be sure they are properly vented and working correctly.

Get our free mobile app

Signs of a potential carbon monoxide issue include things like excess moisture/condensation on windows, walls, and cold surfaces, rusting flue pipes/appliance jacks, an orange or yellow flame in appliances (it should be a blue flame), and streaks of soot around fuel-burning appliances.

Finally, knowing the signs of carbon monoxide poisoning is crucial to know it is time to get out of an area immediately. Some flu-like symptoms are associated with CO poisoning, with early signs including things like a mild headache or breathlessness with moderate exercise. As things get worse, dizziness, nausea, and fatigue come on.

The MDH says a way to tell the difference between carbon monoxide poisoning and the flu includes things such as feeling better when away from home, an indoor pet seems to feel ill, or a lack of fever or body aches.

You can see more of what the MDH has to say about symptoms, risks, and how to protect yourself on the MDH's carbon monoxide site.