Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service (WFRS) urged residents to protect themselves from the dangers of carbon monoxide as part of Gas Safety Week 2026, in an announcement published by Warwickshire County Council on 15 September 2026. The theme for the week is Take No Chances1.
The service reported a steady rise in carbon monoxide alarm attendances across Warwickshire over the last three years, with incidents increasing from 61 in 2023/24 to 125 in 2025/26. The majority of callouts continue to be to residential properties. WFRS described carbon monoxide as often referred to as the "silent killer", noting that it cannot be seen, smelt or tasted, which it said makes early detection crucial to keeping households safe1.
Councillor Robert Gisbourne, Portfolio Holder for Fire and Rescue, Community Safety and Flooding, said:
"This Gas Safety Week, make sure you take no chances with your safety by ensuring you get your gas appliances maintained by professionals regularly. We hope to educate the community by sharing these safety tips, reducing the risk of gas leaks, fires and explosions."
The service set out gas safety points for households. Gas appliances should be safety checked once a year and serviced regularly by a qualified and registered engineer, and landlords are responsible for organising this for tenants. Warning signs that an appliance may not be working correctly include lazy yellow or orange flames instead of crisp blue ones, black marks on or around the appliance, a pilot light that keeps going out, too much condensation in the room, or error messages on the control panel. Vents and flues should not be blocked, as blocking them could prevent gas appliances working safely. Any carbon monoxide alarms should be marked to standards EN50291 and still in date. The service said never to carry out DIY work on a gas appliance, and that anyone suspecting a fault should call an engineer; gas work should always be done by someone who is Gas Safe registered and qualified for the type of work needed1.
The announcement also repeated general fire safety points, including fitting smoke alarms on every level of the home and testing them at least monthly, not leaving cooking unattended, not overloading electrical sockets, turning off electrical appliances and plugs before going to bed or going out apart from appliances designed to stay on such as freezers, and keeping lit candles and portable heaters away from curtains and furniture. In the event of a fire, the service said not to tackle it: get out, stay out and call 9991.
Why it matters for households
The figures cover Warwickshire only, and no equivalent national attendance figures for carbon monoxide alarms are given in the announcement. The service links the rise in attendances to the colder months, when heating appliances come back into use, and its guidance is addressed to residents and, for annual safety checks, to landlords with tenants1. Households with gas or other fuel-burning appliances are the group the warnings concern. The service's stated position is that a working carbon monoxide alarm and properly maintained appliances are what allow early detection, and that alarms should carry the EN50291 marking and be in date1. Further detail on how such alarms work and where they are placed is set out in the guide to carbon monoxide alarms, with related pages on where to put a carbon monoxide alarm and carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms. The wider subject of gas leaks, fires and burst pipes is covered in Home Emergencies.
What happens next
Residents in Warwickshire who are concerned about the fire safety of their home can apply for a free Safe and Well visit carried out by Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, which the service says can be arranged at their request1. No closing date for Gas Safety Week 2026 is given in the announcement, and no further dates have been reported.
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