Jesse Leavenworth
New Haven Register, Conn.
(TNS)
After a potentially fatal incident, carbon monoxide detectors now are part of a Willimantic home’s early warning system, a resident said Tuesday.
Jesus Salazar’s stepfather and uncle had to be flown to a New York City hospital Sunday to be treated in hyperbaric chambers after they were poisoned by an unvented oven, fire officials said. Salazar said the family purchased and installed CO detectors Monday at the Gifford Avenue home.
Firefighters answered the call at 11:53 a.m. Sunday — smoke in a building with possibly two people unconscious. The first firefighters on the scene quickly found the problem was not smoke, but the invisible and odorless carbon monoxide. Three of the six residents were complaining of symptoms, and two of them, identified by Salazar as his stepfather and uncle, reported passing out.
A propane-fired, commercial oven with no ventilation was the source, fire officials said. Salazar said his stepfather bought and repaired the used oven to get it working. Typically, his stepfather used the oven outdoors, Salazar said, but he brought it into the kitchen to bake bread on Sunday due to the cold weather.
After the oven was on for a while, Salazar said his stepfather became unresponsive, “sitting there looking aimlessly.” Then his uncle passed out and came to three times, he said. He called 911, Salazar said, and dragged his father out of the house. Everyone else in the house, including his mother, brother and cousin, were able to get out on their own.
Firefighters recorded an initial CO reading of 50 parts per million, but before backing out of the house to set up ventilation, the reading was 250 ppm and climbing, Fire Chief Marc Scrivener said.
“As soon as they hit the door, it just went from 0 to 50,” Scrivener said Tuesday.
The incident could have been fatal, he said. Effects of CO depend on the concentration (ppm) and length of exposure, as well as each individual’s health condition. Most people will not experience symptoms from prolonged exposure to levels of 1 to 70 ppm, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, although some heart patients might feel more chest pain.
As levels increase and remain above 70 ppm, symptoms become more noticeable and can include headache, fatigue and nausea. At sustained concentrations above 150 to 200 ppm, disorientation, unconsciousness and death are possible.
Firefighters ventilated the home and brought the readings to 0 ppm. They found no working CO detectors in the house, and the fire marshal explained the dangers to the family, a news release said. Salazar’s stepfather and uncle were transported by Lifestar helicopter to a New York hospital with hyberbaric chambers, which boost air pressure to get more oxygen into a patient’s lungs.
Salazar said both men now are fine and the propane-fired oven is back outside on the deck, where it will stay.
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