Stay safe: Check those carbon monoxide detectors

The cold weather has fire officials urging Minnesotans to check their carbon monoxide detectors.

People should have an alarm on every floor of their home and within 10 feet of sleeping rooms, State Fire Marshal Bruce West said a day after two women in Lindstrom were found dead of suspected carbon monoxide exposure.

Carbon monoxide poisoning danger is greater during the winter when doors and windows stay closed and Minnesotans are burning fuel indoors in fireplaces, gas heaters and other appliances, according to the state Department of Public Safety.

People suffering from this year's flu pandemic may not recognize the symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure, and the colorless, odorless gas can get in houses in unexpected ways, West added.

"People are running their vehicles with an attached garage. They think simply opening the garage door is good enough to get that carbon monoxide outside," West said.

However, that's not the case, he said. Carbon monoxide will go inside the house along with the cold air when a person goes between an attached garage and living space a few times.