LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Sunday's severe weather left over 100,000 Arkansans in the dark.
And while people tried to stay cool during the power outages, many turned to generators, a safety hazard if misused.
"We noticed a big uptick in generator service and installation calls," Airmasters General Manager David Holliman said.
Holliman said his technicians have responded to about 30 generator service calls since the storm on June 25, an uncommon uptick this time of year.
"We get a strong surge of generated calls in the spring when it's storm season," Holliman said. "This time of the year, it's kind of unusual."
Holliman welcomes any customer concern calls because he wants to see people get the necessary maintenance before something goes wrong.
Although Airmasters only work on home standby generators, Holliman recommends them to customers because they require less labor.
"Once the power goes out, it automatically does everything," Holliman said. "Switch over in the breaker panel, so there are no safety issues."
For portable generators, fire officials said to ensure it's at least 20 feet away from houses to prevent carbon monoxide from getting inside.
"The exhaust is just like a vehicle," North Little Rock Fire Captain Dustin Free said. "It's like leaving the exhaust off. That engine is going to go and go into the atmosphere and stay inside of the house. It'll fill up the garage and eventually get into the living area."
Free said people should also use a funnel when filling a generator with gas. If any gas is spilled in the process, Free recommends not starting the generator until the gas evaporates.
According to North Little Rock Electric, a generator should never be plugged into a wall outlet or breaker panel because it could send electricity back into the distribution system, potentially deadly to employees.
"We're trying to make sure that the public knows all the safety tips," Free said.
In addition, experts said Arkansas's power grid is prepared to meet the demand of the summer heat.