Carbon monoxide calls climb in Oregon's cold months, so test your alarms now

If you've been running the furnace more lately, it's a good week to check your alarms. November is Carbon Monoxide Awareness Month, and the Oregon State Fire Marshal says 62% of the state's carbon monoxide emergencies happen in fall and winter.

Early symptoms look like the flu without a fever: headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea or chest pain. "Carbon monoxide gives no warning; you cannot see it, smell it, or taste it," State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said.

• Alarms: test monthly; replace the unit every 10 years or per maker
• Law: alarms on every bedroom level in homes sold or rented
• Generators: run outdoors, 20 feet from windows, doors and vents
• Cars: never run one in an attached garage, even door open
• Heating gear: get furnaces and chimneys inspected yearly