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04/12/2012
Woman 'Lucky' After Surviving Carbon Monoxide Fumes
A 27-year-old woman is lucky to be alive after breathing in carbon monoxide fumes in her own home, the fire service has said.
The woman had to be rescued from her smoke-filled house in Co Antrim.
She was found by friends at about 22:00 on Monday evening. Firefighters were then called to the property at Leyland Heights in Ballycastle.
Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Group Commander Jim Murphy said crews used specialist equipment to detect the levels or carbon monoxide in the room, which were recorded as being fatally high.
Mr Murphy said: "This young lady lay down in a room for possibly up to two hours, breathing in carbon monoxide. She's very, very fortunate to be alive. Had she been left for much longer I think easily she could have died."
It is understood the incident came about when a plastic bag was thrown onto the open fire in the living room. It then flew up the chimney, blocking it.
This caused a lot of smoke to back up into the room, but the woman and her friends were eventually confident the blockage had been cleared.
She lay down on the sofa, but the smoke continued to escape into the room. The woman was given oxygen at the scene before being taken to hospital by ambulance.
Mr Murphy said: "The only thing that should be put on a fire is fuel. This bag shot up the chimney and was blocking fumes. You do not always get a strong smoky smell."
He urged householders to install carbon monoxide detectors.
(IT)
The woman had to be rescued from her smoke-filled house in Co Antrim.
She was found by friends at about 22:00 on Monday evening. Firefighters were then called to the property at Leyland Heights in Ballycastle.
Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Group Commander Jim Murphy said crews used specialist equipment to detect the levels or carbon monoxide in the room, which were recorded as being fatally high.
Mr Murphy said: "This young lady lay down in a room for possibly up to two hours, breathing in carbon monoxide. She's very, very fortunate to be alive. Had she been left for much longer I think easily she could have died."
It is understood the incident came about when a plastic bag was thrown onto the open fire in the living room. It then flew up the chimney, blocking it.
This caused a lot of smoke to back up into the room, but the woman and her friends were eventually confident the blockage had been cleared.
She lay down on the sofa, but the smoke continued to escape into the room. The woman was given oxygen at the scene before being taken to hospital by ambulance.
Mr Murphy said: "The only thing that should be put on a fire is fuel. This bag shot up the chimney and was blocking fumes. You do not always get a strong smoky smell."
He urged householders to install carbon monoxide detectors.
(IT)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:Staying cold. Any freezing fog that has formed overnight will slowly thin and disperse during the morning. Otherwise dry and bright much of the day with perhaps the odd coastal shower in the north and east. Maximum temperature 4 °C.Tonight:Dry at first with cloud thickening from the south through the evening. The odd shower, wintry over high ground, over northern counties, becoming more persistent rain over Down and Antrim. Minimum temperature 0 °C.
