After a carbon monoxide leak was found during an event at the Central Wyoming Fairgrounds on Friday, officials with the Casper Fire Department are reminding residents and businesses to inspect their natural gas and solid fuel-burning appliances before extreme winter weather hits.

The National Fire Protection Agency says fire departments responded to over 80,000 carbon monoxide-related calls in 2010 - roughly 40,000 calls were fielded in 2003.

Mark Harshman, a division chief with the Casper Fire Department, says now is the perfect time to schedule carbon monoxide inspections.

Furnaces, hot water heaters - any gas-burning appliance or solid fuel appliance such as a fireplace or a pellet stove - we really encourage them to call those various businesses and have those inspections completed,” Harshman said.

Harshman says residents should look into purchasing carbon monoxide detectors. However, because of different expiration dates for certain types of detection technology, Harshman does not recommend purchasing alarms with combined detectors that sense both carbon monoxide and smoke.

The element that senses the smoke particles, if you will, loses its sensitivity after 10 years,” Harshman said. “But with carbon monoxide detectors, the current technology lasts about seven years.”

Harshman says most gas companies provide carbon monoxide inspections to individuals and businesses.

Carbon monoxide safety tips can be found at the National Fire Protection Agency's website.

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