CPSC’s winter warning focused on generator exhaust and home alarms
The December 2025 advisory described carbon monoxide and fire risks when storms interrupt normal power and heating.
- Event / announcement date
- 2025-12-12
- Earliest linked source date
- 2025-12-12
- NewsTumble first published
- 2026-10-25T22:14:43Z
- NewsTumble updated
- 2026-10-25T22:14:43Z
The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s December 12, 2025 winter advisory warned that improvised power and heating arrangements can introduce carbon monoxide and fire hazards. It described carbon monoxide as colorless and odorless, making generator exhaust particularly dangerous during an outage. [1]
CPSC said portable generators should operate outdoors, at least 20 feet from the house, with exhaust directed away from buildings. It warned against running them in homes, garages or other enclosed spaces, and said opening doors or windows does not provide adequate protection. [1]
The notice recommended working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, monthly testing and battery replacement as needed. When an alarm sounds, its instruction was to get outside immediately and then call 911. [1]
For portable heaters, the agency specified three feet of clearance from combustible items and direct connection to a wall outlet rather than a power strip. This archived notice is not a current storm forecast or a review of the generator shown in the file photograph. [1]
The source
- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: As Winter Storms Threaten Millions in the U.S., CPSC Issues Safety Tips to Help Families Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning and Fires ↗
Source published 2025-12-12 · reviewed 2026-10-25
About this item: Retrospective source brief. No first-hand reporting or independent testing is claimed. Corrections policy.
