Cape man dies of CO poisoning after raccoon blocks his chimney

what happed to the coon?

I'm sure he would have survived if he had some detectors in there. That's easy to say. What are the chances that a raccoon crawls in your chimney??? Silly.

I have a wood stove and I do not have any co detectors. I don't expect any raccoons to crawl up the side of my house and slide down my round chimney pipes. They are too fat!

sad story but did the raccoon survive

What are you guys idiots?

Fireplace needs to be going to cause carbon monoxide.
Racoon stuck in chimney.

You do the math.

Who cares about the coon??? A man died for god's sake.

co detectors should be in homes regardless of the chances of a racoon getting stuck in your chimney or not! They are less then $30.

I have about five or six birds a year come down my chimney to the wood stove. I placed a screen around the top of the chimney under the hood and the birds built nests there during the summer months and would cause ventilation problems when I would lite the stove for the first time each year. So, rather than have the smoke and fumes back up into the house, I have removed the screen guard.

Is there such a thing as a coon detector for the chimney ???

Fireplace does not have to be going for co build-up, folks. Buy a freakin' chimney cap for $200 (and get it installed properly) and poof(!) - no animals in your chimney!

Looks like murder to me.

cmnsense - Before calling people idiots it's always wise not to be the bigger one. In most cases the Furnace also vents through the chimney. If one builds a fire and the flu is clogged the house will immediately fill with smoke. IFire + glogged flu = smoke in the house. The result will be reached rather quickly and would set the smoke detectors off. Furnace however, will back up with CO in the ce3llar upwards to the house, will not be detected by a standard, required by code, smoke detector. The common sense answer is therefore this was from the furnace not the flu. Check your math.

Did the raccon survive,

Can't believe you all fell for this one. Wake up, Boston!

I think the screen guard is a great idea. IS there any way to remove it before the winter and put it back once the season is over so the birds don't nest there? It sure would save a lot of birds - that sounds horrible.

This story is VERY sad about this poor man. Everyone should have a carbon monoxide detector - everyone. It's very, very sad and unfortunate. :(

how about, leave the screen on the chimney and clean it in mid october??

it will also keep any raccoons out.

These days I have carbon monoxide detectors in both bedrooms and in one hallway in my house.

“Nicole’s Law” states homeowners are required to have a Carbon Monoxide detector on every level of their Massachusetts house. So it's not just a good idea, it's the law. - MGL Chapter 148 Section 10A

No, really. What happened to the raccoon?

was the coon male or female???

Racoons regularly crawl into city chimneys- and the furnace chimneys seem to be the preference because they are larger. A tenant of mine saw this at dawn outside his apartment window in Bay Village. Other neighbors in Bay Village and friends from Beacon Hill have had the same experience. It is best to call for professional help if you suspect that this has happened in your home.

Neil

The raccoon was dead in the chimney and blocked the chimney. CO detectors should be in every home just like a smoke detector. You can get combo units.

There are a lot of ways to have a carbon monoxide problem that don't involve raccoons or chimneys. A malfunctioning furnace or space heater can lead to a build up of CO. After rescuing my ex- from CO poisoning when his furnace malfunctioned, I went out and bought CO detectors for each level of my house. It's an inexpensive way to prevent potential tragedies and as essential as having a smoke alarm.

If you have a wood, oil, or gas furnace, stove, or hot water heater, you really ought to have a CO detector. Anything that burns has the potential to emit CO if the airflow is restricted. Odorless and deadly.

Raccoons getting stuck in chimneys are not all that common, but neither are house fires. Do you have a smoke detector?

Yeah....I suspect the coon got cooked and the guy never knew what hit him...so sad and preventable with a dectector.

Since March 31, 2006 CO detectors are required by law in all Mass residences. To Bostonfan34, out here in the suburbs a lot of the houses have chimeny guards on the them because of racoons. My neighbor and me both have had racoons removed from our chimeny's before the guards were installed.

bostonfan34, u should probably get some CO detectors. Raccoons are not the only source of carbon monoxide (CO); it is a product of the combustion of most organic materials. Anything that impedes the proper exhaust and airflow around any ignition-based equipment can cause fatal build-up of the colorless and odorless CO gas. Symptoms of CO poisoning typically come on following severe CO intoxication, thus limiting the ability of people to evacuate themselves to a breathable atmosphere. So you not only need raccoon detectors, but CO detectors as well. Punk.