I was starting my last trimester of pregnancy with not-our-first-child, when we traveled out of town to spend Pesach with family. I woke up in middle of the first night of yontif, as women with fetuses sitting on their bladders have been known to do. Returning back to our room, I heard a faint beeping sound. It sounded like a muffled alarm clock going off at the wrong time. I was somewhat concerned by this mysterious sound and woke up my husband. Though still drowsy with sleep, he heard it too. He quickly was on his feet, searching the house for the source of the sound. Rushing back to the second floor bedroom where our youngest was still sleeping, he said,” Get the kids and get out of the house, it’s the carbon monoxide detector going off!”
After collecting the other kids from a different bedroom, He went on to wake up the other family members in the house, including my elderly grandparents on the first floor and siblings staying in the basement. Soon, only by the kindness of Hashem, we were all assembled outside in our pajamas, showered by the crisp Chicago April early morning rain. After a short debate on what to do next, which ended with the correct decision to call 911 (always call 911), Chicago’s Bravest arrived in their fire gear, clearly still in their pajamas as well. We were informed that even after at least 45 minutes of the house ventilated, with the front door open, the carbon monoxide levels in the house were dangerously high, particularly upstairs where we were sleeping with our children. Apparently, like heat, carbon monoxide also rises.
After a thorough investigation, the fire department concluded that the source of the odorless, deadly gas was from the stove top burners that had been left on and covered by a metal blech. After generations of uneventful blech use, we learned this important lesson: If the flame under the blech is not well ventilated, and the blech sits too close to the back of the stove top, carbon monoxide will become trapped, build up, and reach dangerous levels.
This yontif season, please make sure there are working carbon monoxide and smoke detectors on every floor of your home. If flames are left on for cooking purposes, they should be in well ventilated areas. Have a joyful and safe, chag kasher v’sameach.
By Rivki Chudnoff
