Pennsylvanians are firing up their furnaces as colder temperatures hit, but before we get into the dead of winter, state officials are urging residents to get their heating systems inspected.
Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner Bruce Trego says checking your furnaces and chimneys before putting them into regular use is a big part in preventing carbon monoxide poisoning.
Trego also encourages residents to get a carbon monoxide detector because the gas is nearly impossible to detect.
When too much carbon monoxide is in the air, your body replaces the oxygen in your red blood cells with carbon monoxide, which can lead to serious tissue damage, or even death.