British Columbia's technical safety regulator has again named carbon monoxide (CO) as the province's most serious technical safety risk. In a release dated May 27, 2026, Technical Safety BC said its 2025 State of Safety report ranks CO first for the third year running. The report's gas section describes a fatal case linked to a poorly installed and maintained high-efficiency furnace.
The headline findings
The short answer: CO remains the top risk, and gas incidents rose in 2025.
The release lists the regulator's top five risks for 2025:
- Carbon monoxide
- Gas line strikes
- Electrical shock
- Electrical fire
- Ammonia
It explains that CO ranks first because of its severity, the number of incidents and low public awareness that the gas has no smell.
The 2025 gas data page adds the numbers:
| Gas measure, 2025 | Figure | Change from 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Incidents reported | 79 | +19.5% |
| Injuries reported | 36 | +15% |
| Fatal CO exposures | 1 | not stated |
| Installation permits issued | 47,852 | +11% |
| Assessments completed | 11,400 | −8% |
Of 6,060 in-person assessments, 1,877 failed, roughly 31%. The gas page states that CO has topped the regulator's risk list for five years, while the release says three consecutive years; we report both as published.
The Castlegar furnace case
According to the gas data page, a fatal CO exposure in Castlegar on February 24, 2025 involved a high-efficiency natural gas furnace with an improperly repaired and separated vent pipe. Technical Safety BC found the furnace was likely improperly installed in 2007 and not maintained regularly, and that loosened draft inducer bolts produced abnormally high CO levels. Repair or replacement had been recommended since 2021 without action. The home had no CO alarms. The release calls the failure preventable.
Who is most at risk
The gas page says most reported CO incidents happened in single-detached homes. It also reports higher risk for renters exposed to poor installation or maintenance, for lower-income and housing-insecure residents, and in neighbourhoods with greater racial and linguistic diversity.
The release's advice to the public: install Canadian-certified CO alarms on every floor and near bedrooms, test them monthly and replace them every 7 to 10 years; have gas appliances inspected each year by a licensed gas contractor; and know the common sources, which include furnaces, boilers, water heaters, fireplaces and vehicles in attached garages.
Contractor analysis: safety, honesty and furnace marketing
This section is FurnaceNews.ca analysis, not part of Technical Safety BC's report.
A high-efficiency furnace is not automatically safe. The Castlegar case involved modern equipment. The failure was in installation, venting and maintenance. That is a strong, factual argument for annual maintenance plans, and for the value of licensed work.
Use the regulator's words, not fear. Safety messaging works when it is calm and sourced. A maintenance page that links Technical Safety BC's report and repeats its alarm and inspection advice is credible. Ads that imply a homeowner's furnace is about to kill them are not, and they erode trust in the whole trade.
Reach the people the report names. Renters, landlords and multilingual neighbourhoods carry more risk according to the report. Landlord-focused maintenance offers and service pages in the languages your customers speak are practical responses. Our furnace search visibility service can build those pages.
Make the licence visible. In B.C., Technical Safety BC licenses gas contractors. Stating your licence clearly on your site and estimates is a simple trust signal; our British Columbia page links the regulator.
A short checklist for the coming season:
- Add CO alarm checks to every furnace maintenance visit and say so on your website.
- Publish a dated maintenance page linking the State of Safety report.
- Offer a reminder service for annual inspections.
- Avoid scare language in ads; cite the regulator instead.
More furnace briefs are in the newsroom.
The numbers in context
More installation permits (up 11%) alongside more reported incidents (up 19.5%) means more gas work happened in 2025 as well as more problems. The report does not break incidents down by appliance beyond the Castlegar case, so it would be wrong to say furnaces caused most of them. What the data do support is the regulator's own advice: alarms, annual inspections and licensed work.
FurnaceNews.ca is a news and marketing service for furnace companies. We are not a heating contractor or a safety regulator, and this is not compliance advice. Homeowners with CO symptoms should leave the home and call 911.
Frequently asked questions
What did Technical Safety BC find about carbon monoxide?
Its May 27, 2026 release says carbon monoxide was the top safety risk for British Columbians for the third consecutive year, because of its severity, the number of incidents and low awareness that it is odourless.
What happened in the Castlegar case?
According to Technical Safety BC's gas data page, a fatal exposure on February 24, 2025 involved a high-efficiency natural gas furnace with an improperly repaired, separated vent pipe. The home had no CO alarms.
How many gas incidents were reported in 2025?
The gas data page lists 79 incidents and 36 injuries reported in 2025, up 19.5% and 15% from 2024, and 47,852 gas installation permits issued.
What does Technical Safety BC recommend?
Certified CO alarms on every floor and near bedrooms, tested monthly and replaced every 7 to 10 years, and an annual inspection of gas appliances by a licensed gas contractor.