Blocked Oven Vents Bake Up Carbon Monoxide On North Side

It was a mystery why the carbon monoxide alarm was sounding at a Sherman Terrace apartment Thursday afternoon. When Engine Company 8 passed through the property with their air monitor, CO levels were elevated, but firefighters ruled out the possibility that something was wrong with the furnace.
 
The tenant reported to firefighters the alarm went off shortly after she used the gas stove. They turned the stove back on and watched the CO levels start to increase.
 
That’s when they discovered the culprit: A plastic sheet that was recently placed in the bottom of the oven. It was intended to catch drippings, but it turned out to be causing more problems than it was solving.
 
Once firefighters took the plastic sheet out of the oven, CO levels decreased and it was determined that the sheet was blocking some vents on the bottom of the oven.
 
With the air clear, and the carbon monoxide detector reset and operational, firefighters left the tenant to resume her cooking—without the plastic sheet.