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They are on the fourth day without light and without heating. Some 33,000 households were still without power in the Rhône-Alpes, Sunday evening, after the snowfall that hit the region last week. Consequence of this power failure: a couple of septuagenarians was found dead Sunday morning in Isère, poisoned by carbon monoxide that emanated from a generator installed in the basement. The authorities recall that it is imperative to install these devices outside homes.
"Portable generators work with thermal engines that release toxic emissions, including carbon monoxide," said Lt. Yannick Petruszewski, a member of the Isère firefighters, at the microphone of Europe 1. "What it is it is very important to put all these devices outside the house, so that the exhaust does not enter the house. "
Carbon monoxide, an insidious gas
But even outside the home, the greatest precaution remains. "Close to the house, if there are VLC-type ducts or gaps in the doors or windows, the toxic gases could come in. It is therefore necessary to keep these appliances as far as possible from the dwellings," insists the lieutenant. Yannick Petruszewski.
And especially as carbon monoxide strikes without warning, because this gas is odorless and colorless. "We do not realize that this gas is in the ambient air.After a while, depending on the gas concentration, we can have symptoms such as nausea, headache, vomiting", relieves our fireman. "That's where you have to worry, leave the place where you have been exposed and call for help."