Man warming trailer with propane stove found dead in Kelowna

A man has died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning after using a propane stove inside a trailer in Kelowna.

Officers discovered the body while conducting a wellness check on Dec. 21, according to an RCMP press release. The 63-year-old man was living in a trailer on Lougheed Road in Kelowna.

A propane stove was still burning when police arrive and it appeared to have been used for warmth, RCMP said, adding that carbon monoxide poisoning was indicated in the preliminary investigation.

A separate investigation is being conducted by the B.C. Coroners Service.

“With the cold weather in effect and extreme cold anticipated in the coming days, the Kelowna RCMP is working closely with the City to support the community in conducting wellness checks of the homeless,” Kelowna RCMP operations officer Insp. Adam MacIntosh said in the release. “Our frontline officers will be handing out items such as socks, gloves and hats and will be working closely with the shelters in efforts to prevent cold weather injuries or fatalities."

The Kelowna Fire Department is warning people about the dangers of carbon monoxide.

The deadly odourless and colourless gas is a danger at any time of the year, but the fire department says the risk is greater during the winter as people heat their homes with furnaces, wood stoves, water heaters or other appliances that run on fuels.

“Early detection of carbon monoxide is paramount,” Kelowna fire prevention officer Paul Johnson said in the release. “Not only must every home have a smoke alarm but it also should have a working carbon monoxide alarm."

Here is a list of safety tips provided by the fire department:

Smoke and CO alarms should be installed in a central location outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home and in other locations where required by applicable laws, codes or standards. For the best protection, interconnect all CO alarms throughout the home. When one sounds, they all sound.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for placement and mounting height.
Test CO alarms at least once a month; replace them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
If the CO alarm sounds, immediately move to a fresh air location outdoors or by an open window or door. Make sure everyone inside the home is accounted for. Call 911 from a fresh air location and stay there until emergency personnel declare that it is safe to re-enter the home.
If the audible trouble signal sounds, check for low batteries. If the battery is low, replace it. If it still sounds, call the fire department.
If you need to warm a vehicle, remove it from the garage immediately after starting it. Do not run a vehicle or other fuelled engine or motor indoors, even if garage doors are open. Make sure the exhaust pipe of a running vehicle is not covered with snow.
During and after a snowstorm, make sure vents for the dryer, furnace, stove, and fireplace are clear of snow build-up.
A generator should be used in a well-ventilated location outdoors away from windows, doors and vent openings.
Gas or charcoal grills can produce CO — only use outside.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Dan Walton or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.