Residents are Urged to Check Carbon Monoxide Detectors
North Tahoe Fire and Meeks Bay Fire urge residents to check the date on the back of their Carbon Monoxide alarms, as many units expire this year and must be replaced. Poisonings from carbon monoxide increase during cold weather as families rely on gas, oil and coal burning appliances for heat, and a working CO alarm is a life-saving device.
2018 marked the seven-year anniversary of California Senate Bill 183, known as the Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act, which went into effect statewide on July 1, 2011. Most alarms had a seven-year sealed battery, meaning most alarms installed when the law passed are expired and due for replacement. The law requires the installation of CO alarms in all single-family homes with an attached garage or fossil fuel source.