In Texas on February 20, shortly after 9 p.m., Nacogdoches County Sheriff Jason Bridges sat inside his patrol vehicle and began a Facebook live feed. He had just left a gruesome scene where three residents were found deceased due to carbon monoxide poisoning.

While a generator was being operated outdoors on a porch, it was in close proximity to the residence. Investigators discovered that the exhaust pipe from the generator had melted a hole in the home’s siding that allowed carbon monoxide to enter the home. (Sheriff Bridges video can be viewed on Tideland’s Facebook page.)

Carbon monoxide detectors range in price from $20 to $45.

Smoke detectors have a 10 year life-span which makes a combination detector an ideal retrofit.

Unfortunately, those would not be the only three carbon monoxide deaths experienced in Texas during a freak winter storm that left much of the state contending with a combination of rolling blackouts and extended power outages. In Harris County, Texas, more than 580 residents were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. A mother and her young daughter perished after being overcome by exhaust from their running vehicle where they had sought warmth for the night.

Elsewhere, residents were poisoned after trying to heat homes with gas stoves and even outdoor grills.

Because carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, it is hard to detect exposure. It can sometimes produce flu-like symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, shortness of breath or weakness. When carbon monoxide builds up in your bloodstream, your body replaces the oxygen in your red blood cells with carbon monoxide. This can lead to serious tissue damage and death.

Each and every one of these tragedies could have been avoided with a working carbon monoxide detector. Carbon monoxide detectors generally range in price from $20 to $45. While installation is now required in all new construction in North Carolina, the vast majority of homes do not have one, even where gas appliances are already present. The National Fire Protection Association recommends that smoke detectors be replaced every 10 years since they have a limited lifespan. That’s the perfect opportunity to retrofit existing smoke detectors with models that also feature carbon monoxide sensors. Units that have both features generally start at around $40 and are often discounted by building supply stores when buying more than three.