As temperatures have dipped in homes without power, Goffstown residents are facing another threat – carbon monoxide gas from the space heaters they are using to combat the cold.

Goffstown Fire Chief Rich O’Brien said the Fire Department has been able to save some residents from carbon monoxide poisoning.

“Fortunately, we got on them quick enough on these occasions where we averted disaster,” O’Brien said. “Unfortunately, it’s continuing until power is restored in all areas.”

O’Brien said any space heater that runs off fuel generates carbon monoxide and needs to be properly installed and ventilated. Simply opening up a window does not count and is not something the Fire Department recommends, since people tend to gradually close the window to keep out the cold, according to O’Brien. He also warns against using kitchen stoves or other cooking appliances for heating, since they, too, produce carbon monoxide.

Instead, O’Brien said residents should use generators outside their homes to power electric space heaters, which must be at least 3 feet away from paper, cloth or other flammable materials. Fireplaces with chimneys are another acceptable source of home heating, as long as they have been inspected and cleaned in the last year, according to O’Brien.

He said the Fire Department has received a few calls from homeowners saying they were feeling sick or knew “something is not right.” Upon arrival at those homes, officials have traced the problem to carbon monoxide from indoor heaters.

On Sunday, Dec. 14, the department got a call from a young family that needed help heating their home. Once there, officials found that carbon monoxide limits were above normal limits and had to vent the home while the family spent the night somewhere else, according to O’Brien.

Anyone with questions about safe heating should call the Goffstown Fire Department at 497-3619.