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State Fire Marshal urges safety when using residential natural gas generators

firefighter helmet and axes
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Heavy snows along with freezing and sub-freezing temperatures are gripping West Michigan.

Should the power go, some residents have turned to using natural gas generators. Although they are efficient and cost-effect, the State Fire Marshal wants them to be used safely.

When the power goes out the lights go out and the heat turns off. If you’ve invested in a natural gas generator to power up your home in the event of an emergency, Michigan’s Fire Marshal Kevin Sehlmeyer explains you need to keep safety in mind when using natural gas equipment.

“While this thing’s running of course you don’t want people reaching into it, and then also, you want to make sure it’s been put in by a qualified electrician so that when it does come on everything is set and ready to go.”

What can happen when it’s not setup correctly?

“One of the things if it’s not correctly hooked up you could have an electrical fire. And then also, you know, want to make sure that it’s vented correctly so that, even with natural gas, it’s still with any combustion you always have carbon monoxide. You want to make sure that that’s not making its way back into a home.”

Sehlmeyer also recommends carbon monoxide alarms installed on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas.

Patrick Center, WGVU News.

Patrick joined WGVU Public Media in December, 2008 after eight years of investigative reporting at Grand Rapids' WOOD-TV8 and three years at WYTV News Channel 33 in Youngstown, Ohio. As News and Public Affairs Director, Patrick manages our daily radio news operation and public interest television programming. An award-winning reporter, Patrick has won multiple Michigan Associated Press Best Reporter/Anchor awards and is a three-time Academy of Television Arts & Sciences EMMY Award winner with 14 nominations.