Olympia, WA -- Starting January 1st, most homes in Washington will be required to have carbon monoxide alarms.
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can kill someone in minutes, and can build to unsafe levels in areas that are enclosed or semi-enclosed.
State law required that all new single-family homes have the devices installed by January 1st of last year, and the law will require that existing homes have the devices in place by January 1st, 2013.
Owner-occupied, single-family residences, which were legally occupied before July 26th, 2009, aren't required to have carbon monoxide alarms until they're sold.
