1 November 2023
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Colder weather is ringing in warning about carbon monoxide poisoning. The Wichita Fire Department says they are getting more CO calls this time of year.
It’s happening because people are turning on heaters and furnaces. A carbon monoxide leak in 2018 changed Megan Jackson’s life forever.
“I got a phone call in the morning from my aunt telling me my mother had passed away, and it was a carbon monoxide incident,” said Megan.
She remembers her mother, Dionne Jackson, as selfless.
“If you needed help, she would find a way to help you. It didn’t matter what she needed to do. It didn’t matter what she needed to come up with,” explained Megan.
That day, her generosity was on full display as she helped her friend Richard Reese move furniture. The two of them took a nap and died in their sleep from a CO leak in his generator.
“It’s just not something that would have crossed my mind,” said Megan. “If anyone came to me to tell me, ‘Hey, someone you know passed away.’ It’s not, back then, even now, it’s not going to be one of the first things that I assume that happened.”
WFD explains carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless.
“As far as the call volume, it’s starting to increase because people are starting to light their heaters, their kerosene lamps,” said WFD Lieutenant Cornelius Morgan.
A broken heat exchanger in your furnace is a common cause of leaks.
“Clogged air filter or lack of maintenance is what causes that heat exchanger to overheat. It will develop cracks, and those cracks are what would allow that carbon monoxide into your home,” said Mike McDowell, owner of Dan’s Heating and Cooling.
Experts say to keep a CO detector by each room in your home.
“Check them twice a year like clockwork. Make sure the batteries work, make sure it’s nice and loud,” said McDowell.
It’s something Megan and her family will always remember.
“I know everybody has a fire detector, but I think people understate how important it is to have a carbon monoxide detector as well,” said Megan.
Looking out for others in memory of her mother.