Source: Radio New Zealand
Supplied / Annemarie van der Slot-Verhoeven
A smoke alarm should be enough to detect a carbon monoxide leak, according to Fire and Emergency.
It comes as a Lower Hutt resident is urging people to install a carbon monoxide alarm.
While it is not a requirement in New Zealand, all rental properties in the United Kingdom have to ensure one is in any room containing a fixed combustion appliance – such as a boiler, wood burner, or gas fire.
On Wednesday, Annemarie van der Slot-Verhoeven woke up to the alarm of her carbon monoxide detector around 2am.
While van der Slot-Verhoeven smelled smoke the night before, she thought it was from her wood burner.
“When we woke up we had no idea what was happening,” she said.
Van der Slot-Verhoeven said the wood burner was out, and there were no flames, so she could not figure out why the detector was blaring.
Supplied / Annemarie van der Slot-Verhoeven
That was until she noticed smoke coming out from under her deck, and van der Slot-Verhoeven called 111.
“The absolute[ly] fabulous firefighters from Avalon were there really quickly,” she said.
“Turned out the floor and beams under the fireplace were smoldering.”
Van der Slot-Verhoeven said the fire had already burned through one joist.
“How this all happened is a mystery, as the wood burner was not cracked at the bottom,” she added.
“It was an old fellow, but installed correctly, and maintained every year.”
Van der Slot-Verhoeven was concerned that her smoke alarm had not gone off.
“The smoldering was just under our bed basically.
“It could have been so much worse.
“Luckily our family is safe and sound … a scary night, and quite some material damage, but we can solve that.”
Supplied / Annemarie van der Slot-Verhoeven
However, Fire and Emergency told RNZ that a smoke alarm would provide a wider coverage of the hazardous products created in a fire.
“While a carbon monoxide detector did provide an early warning in this case, this is rare, and we would usually see smoke present even when a fire is smouldering,” a spokesperson said.
Fire and Emergency recommended people have a smoke alarm in every bedroom, living room, and hallway.
Fires increase by 29 percent during winter
Fire and Emergency said the number of fires, related to heating, increased by 29 percent during winter.
“It is important that people keep any flammable objects, like couches, clothes, and beds at least a metre from heaters, wood burners, and open fires,” a spokesperson told RNZ.
It also recommended to have a wood burner checked and serviced regularly, especially older ones, and to have the chimney swept every year.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand