A local incident in which firefighters rescued a woman, who had been rendered unconscious by carbon monoxide after a smouldering fire seeped smoke into her flat, has prompted Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service to urge people to make sure that they have both carbon monoxide and smoke alarms fitted at home.

Station Manager Shaun Milton said: “A neighbour heard alarms sounding from her flat and called 999. Without that intervention, there could have easily been a loss of life. Carbon monoxide is colourless, odourless and tasteless, and it is also extremely dangerous. Without a CO detector, you have no way of knowing that you’re being poisoned until the damage is already being done.

“CO detectors can be bought in most supermarkets and DIY stores. They’re not expensive and they save lives.”

Carbon monoxide is produced by the incomplete burning of carbon-based fuels, including gas, oil, wood and coal. Early symptoms of CO poisoning can be confused with food poisoning, viral infections, flu or simple tiredness; however, warning signs include: headaches or dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, loss of consciousness, tiredness, pains in the chest or stomach, erratic behaviour and visual problems.

If you or your family experience any of the above symptoms and believe you may have been exposed to carbon monoxide, you should seek urgent medical advice.

While this incident was unusual, most cases of CO poisoning are caused by gas appliances and flues that have not been properly installed or maintained, or are poorly ventilated. There are signs that you can look for that indicate incomplete combustion is occurring and may result in the production of CO:

Yellow or orange rather than blue flames (except in fuel effect fires or flueless appliances); soot or yellow/brown staining around or on appliances; pilot lights that frequently blow out and increased condensation inside windows

For advice on carbon monoxide and making your home safer, visit www.dwfire.org.uk/carbon-monoxide