Firefighters evacuated the Cranston Veterans Memorial Ice Rink last night after they detected elevated levels of carbon monoxide.

Rink managers called the Fire Department around 8:45 p.m. after two people reported “flu-like” symptoms, according to Fire Chief Richard Delgado.

The building’s carbon monoxide detector did not sound an alert, Delgado said, but a hand-held device used by firefighters recorded a slightly elevated level of the toxic gas.

Managers of the rink, on Phenix Avenue, called technicians last night to check the refrigeration system, Delgado said. “The rink will be shut down until we determine what caused the carbon monoxide levels to increase,” he said.

Earlier this month, a woman, her boyfriend and her 14-year-old son died in their Providence home after their boiler apparently began leaking carbon monoxide.

Their deaths have prompted a heightened awareness about the dangers of the odorless gas. This week, for example, the state Department of Health announced plans to require hospital emergency rooms to have equipment available to test for carbon monoxide poisoning whenever they test a patient’s oxygen level.

Carbon monoxide is absorbed by the red bloods cells and hinders the transport of oxygen, resulting in headaches, dizziness, nausea and potentially death, depending on the level of exposure.