Wildfire conditions can lead utilities to turn off power in areas where fire risk is high. During a prolonged outage, people may use portable generators. Improper generator use can expose people to carbon monoxide (CO), a poisonous gas. CPSC generator guidance explains why generator exhaust poses a serious hazard. Learn more about wildfire public safety, power shutoff, and generator carbon monoxide risks in the Pacific Northwest with our mass tort lawyers.

This article provides general safety information. It does not describe a particular September 2026 power shutoff event and does not provide legal or medical advice. For related public health information, review the CDC’s carbon monoxide poisoning basics.

Why Generator Use Can Create CO Risks

Fuel-burning generators produce carbon monoxide in their exhaust. CO has no color or odor, so people may not realize that exposure is occurring. Federal safety agencies warn that generator-produced CO can cause sudden illness and death. The CDC generator safety fact sheet describes core precautions for using a portable generator.

Exhaust can enter a building through doors, windows, vents, and other openings. Wind and air currents can carry exhaust toward a building. Outdoor operation does not eliminate the risk if exhaust reaches an enclosed or partly enclosed space. The EPA’s indoor air quality information provides additional context about carbon monoxide indoors.

Never operate a generator inside a home, garage, basement, shed, tent, vehicle, attached porch, or carport. Do not place a generator near doors, windows, vents, or air intakes. CPSC and CDC advise using portable generators outdoors and away from windows, doors, vents, and other openings. For product-related issues, the firm’s portable generator product liability page discusses how defect and warning questions may arise in a particular case.

Generator Safety During a Power Shutoff

Before using a generator, read the current owner’s manual and follow instructions from local emergency and fire officials. Local fire restrictions may limit the use of fuel-burning equipment during dangerous wildfire conditions. General information about evacuation and shelter-in-place risks appears in the Related Posts section below. Follow these steps for generator safety:

Operate a portable generator outdoors only.
Follow the CPSC’s general guidance to place a portable generator at least 20 feet from a building.
Direct exhaust away from the building, doors, windows, vents, and air intakes.
Recheck the setup if wind or other air currents change.
Keep the generator dry.
Never refuel a generator while it is running or hot.
Store fuel in approved containers and follow local fire safety requirements.
Use a qualified electrician and an approved transfer switch for a connection to home wiring. Improper connections can cause backfeeding and injure occupants or utility workers.
Stop using the generator if a CO alarm sounds, someone develops symptoms, or emergency officials direct you to stop.

The 20-foot recommendation does not replace the owner’s manual or local fire, building, and electrical requirements. CPSC and CDC materials recommend operating generators outside and more than 20 feet from windows, doors, and vents. A CO alarm provides a warning; it does not make an unsafe generator location safe. The CPSC portable generator safety alert provides a concise reminder of these precautions.

CO Alarm and Exposure Safety

Install CO alarms according to the manufacturer’s instructions and applicable local requirements. CDC recommends battery-operated or battery-backup CO detectors near every sleeping area. It also advises checking batteries regularly and replacing the detector according to the manufacturer’s instructions or every five years. The CPSC’s CO alarm information explains alarm placement and response considerations.

If a CO alarm sounds, leave the building immediately and move to fresh air. Call 911 or the local emergency number from a safe location. Do not return until emergency personnel say that it is safe. Do not delay emergency care while trying to identify the source of the alarm.

Possible CO exposure symptoms include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea or upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, confusion, and loss of consciousness. Seek medical care after suspected exposure, even if symptoms improve. Tell medical personnel that you may have inhaled carbon monoxide. The CDC carbon monoxide fact sheet describes symptoms and prevention information.

Preserving Information After an Incident

After addressing the emergency, keep available information that may help medical professionals, investigators, or legal counsel understand what happened. This may include the generator, owner’s manual, receipts, alarm information, photographs, videos, medical records, emergency service records, utility alerts, and witness contact information. A related article about defective equipment injury and product liability claims provides general context about preserving evidence in equipment cases.

Do not delay emergency care or re-enter an unsafe building to collect information. Do not alter, discard, repair, or sell the generator before a qualified professional evaluates whether it should be preserved. A lawyer may need to examine the product, warnings, maintenance history, purchase records, and incident evidence.

Legal Review May Depend on the Facts

Potential legal options after a CO injury or death depend on the facts, the evidence, the parties involved, and the law that applies. A licensed attorney can evaluate those issues, including possible deadlines and jurisdictional requirements. The firm’s product liability practice page provides general information about product-related claims.

Readers seeking general information about Williams Hart & Boundas, LLP may review the firm’s catastrophic injury practice and case results. Those pages are not a promise or prediction of any result, and no result in any other matter establishes what may happen in a new case.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a generator cause CO poisoning outdoors?

Yes. Exhaust can reach a home, tent, vehicle, garage, crawlspace, or another enclosed or partly enclosed area. Placement, openings, air movement, and the manufacturer’s instructions all matter. Federal guidance states that portable generators should be used outside and more than 20 feet from windows, doors, and vents. The CPSC’s 2026 generator warning provides current seasonal safety reminders.

How far should a portable generator sit from a home?

CDC states that generators should be used outside, more than 20 feet away from windows, doors, and vents. CPSC similarly advises operating a generator outside and away from openings. Follow the current owner’s manual and local fire safety guidance as well. Do not treat one distance as a universal safety or legal guarantee. Related storm safety guidance appears below.

What should I do if a CO alarm sounds?

Leave immediately and move to fresh air. Call 911 or the local emergency number. Do not re-enter until emergency personnel clear the building. Seek medical care for symptoms or suspected exposure. The Pacific Northwest power outage article in Related Posts discusses similar hazards.

Wildfire Power Shutoffs and Generator Carbon Monoxide Risks in the Pacific Northwest