Biddeford Fire Capt. John Porthier is warning everyone to check home heating vents after the department took several calls about possible carbon monoxide poisoning.
A family, a friend and their pets were hospitalized for several hours Saturday, after blizzard conditions clogged their home's heating vents.
Bob Mills said his 11-year-old son, Trenton, initially reported he was feeling ill.
"I had a bad headache and my ears were ringing," Trenton said.
The rest of the family then reported feeling flu-like symptoms and their pets acted strangely.
Mills then decided to check the heating vents outside his home. "When I dug out the exhaust vents, I got a blast of gas in my face. It knocked me on my backside," he said.
Mills called for help immediately and within minutes, the fire department took them to the hospital. Within a few hours, they were treated and released.
The Mills family's home does have carbon monoxide detectors, which they said did not go off until after the fire department arrived.
In addition to digging out heating vents, firefighters are asking for help to get hydrants uncovered.