We recently had a pesky black bear destroy the exhaust attached to our Rinnai water heater, creating a dangerous level of carbon monoxide in our crawl space and the first and second floors of our home. Our Prolink security system (434-984-2524 in Charlottesville) tried to alert us, but we were out of reach, so the security system alerted Wintergreen Fire and Rescue. When we arrived home, the fire department had already entered our home, diagnosed the problem, and was nearing the completion of their call. We would like to thank our emergency responders for their work. However, we were unfamiliar with the Knox Box system until this event. We recommend that property owners here visit the Wintergreen Fire and Rescue website and educate themselves about the Knox Box. See related entry “Knox Box System” for more details. Submitted by Lina Johnson and Chris Niebergall. November 2025
