5 Hospitalized With Carbon Monoxide Poisoning After Generator Found Running Inside Brockton Home
BROCKTON (CBS) – Five people at a home in Brockton were rushed to the hospital overnight with signs of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Firefighters went to a home on Menlo Street around 10:45 p.m. Thursday after a child under the age of 10 called 911. They found the child's mother going in and out of consciousness.
There was a generator running inside on the first floor of the single-family home. There was no power and no alarms in the house, according to the fire department.
All five people inside – three adults and two children - were evacuated and taken to the hospital. The fire department said all five were conscious.
The generator was shut off and the house was ventilated. Firefighters say they found dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in the home, up to 1,000 parts per million, which can be fatal.
"We start to get concerned over 35 parts per million," Brockton Fire Chief Brian Nardelli told WBZ-TV.
The chief said they've responded to more than 20 carbon monoxide incidents since Wednesday's nor'easter knocked out power to much of the city.
"Generators inside a house, think about that motor. Think about, would you run a car in your living room? Would you run your car in your garage and open into your kitchen? No, you wouldn't and that's because all of that carbon monoxide, all of those gases that are coming out of your tailpipe are now going into your home. And that changes very drastically, very quickly. These are motors that run on fossil fuels. When fossil fuels break down they create carbon monoxide and that's a big danger," Nardelli told WBZ.
Fire Marshals say you should never use a generator inside your home, basement or garage or less than 20 feet from any window, door or vent because fatal levels of carbon monoxide can be produced in just minutes. You should also make sure your CO alarms and detectors are working.
For more generator safety information, click here.
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas known to be a silent killer. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include a dull headache, weakness, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, shortness of breath, confusion, blurred vision or loss of consciousness. If you experience any of these symptoms, get to fresh air and call 911 immediately.
