As we reach the halfway point of winter, The Illinois State Fire Marshal encourages residents to check heating equipment to ensure it works.
Also, during that process, the fire marshal recommends checking smoke and carbon dioxide detectors.
That advice comes as the National Fire Protection reports that heating is the second largest cause of home fires and injuries. Also, it is the third leading cause of home fire-related deaths.
In 2021, Illinois fire departments responded to 20,000 calls about carbon monoxide. Within that number, 10,000 of those were able to determine a leak. Also, the fire marshal gave insight into what symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. Those symptoms resemble the flu, including headache, fatigue, and shortness of breath.