On Jun 26, 8:42*am, "Somebody" > wrote:
> http://southernurbanhomestead.files....11/squirrel-to...

A few years back, a gang of squirrels murdered some people in
Toronto. They made a nest in a chimney, and carbon monoxide was
backed up into the house.
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e...sue-5/0580.htm
{
There was a home invasion in East Toronto in January, but in this case
the invisible and silent killer was not a criminal. Over the course of
2 days it left 2 people dead and two more clinging to life. The
stealthy invader was carbon monoxide, and it gained entry when a
squirrel's nest blocked a chimney, causing fumes to back up into the
house.

Bill Robinson of the Department of Toxicology at the Ontario Centre of
Forensic Science says CO poisoning is deceptive because initial
symptoms resemble the flu. They include a headache, which has been
compared with having an elastic band tightened around the head, as
well as nausea, weakness, confusion, stupor and coma. One visible sign
of CO poisoning is a characteristic cherry-red colouring of the cheeks
and lips. The danger it poses caused great concern during the recent
ice storm in Ontario and Quebec when the lack of electricity caused
people to run gas-powered generators near their homes. Several deaths
were attributed to it.

Carbon monoxide kills by combining irreversibly with blood hemoglobin.
Depending upon the amount of CO present in relation to the amount of
oxygen, the poison can kill within minutes or, as was the case in East
Toronto, over a few days.

Physicians who see patients with severe headache and nausea should
consider asking if is anyone else in the patient's home is
experiencing the same symptoms. If others are, they should be advised
to leave the home immediately and carbon monoxide levels should be
checked.

CO kills between 200 and 300 Ontarians a year. Although the problem is
usually confined to the winter months, deaths have occurred in summer
when boaters and campers use a gas heater in a confined space.

The tragedy in East Toronto caused a surge in sales of carbon monoxide
detectors, which cost from $40 to $60. Experts say one of the best
methods of prevention is a yearly furnace inspection.
}