A carbon monoxide incident in a northwest Minot home Sunday resulted in two people being transported to the hospital.

After arriving on the scene, Minot Fire Department personnel found two adult occupants of the home unconscious. The occupants were taken to Trinity Hospital and then flown to a Minneapolis facility for treatment.

The source of the carbon monoxide buildup is believed to be a faulty heating appliance in the home’s basement.

“The Minot Fire Department recommends all residents have carbon monoxide detectors on every level of their home,” said Assistant Fire Chief Lonnie Sather. “Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, so installing these detectors is the only way to monitor it. If you do have a detector and it sounds an alarm, evacuate the building immediately and call the fire department.”

Carbon monoxide is formed by the incomplete combustion of fuel.

Another issue that arises during the winter season is clogged sewer vent pipes that exit homes through the roof. Sather says the recent spell of very cold weather could cause condensation and humidity venting through PVC pipe to freeze, resulting in a build-up of sewer gas inside a home.

Unlike carbon monoxide, sewer gas can usually be detected by an odor. It can also cause cause a person to feel ill with what is sometimes described as flu-like symptoms.

“The only guarantee that a sewer vent is not plugged is by doing a physical check,” said Sather. “For the elderly and others that definitely is not easy to do.”

According to Sather, the Fire Department has not received many calls regarding plugged sewer vents this winter. Additionally, he says, a favorable weather forecast is good news when it comes to sewer vents and icing.

“With warmer weather all that danger should go away,” said Sather.

Anyone with concerns about sewer vents, said Sather, should contact someone who can do a visual check.

– Kim Fundingsland