Advertisement

Generator in basement causes carbon monoxide poisioning in five Pennsylvania homes

Officials said the cause of the leak was a generator being run from the basement of a home where the power had been shut off.

By Fred Lambert

NORRISTOWN, Pa., May 24 (UPI) -- A generator being used to power a Pennsylvania residence caused a carbon monoxide leak that hospitalized eight people in five different homes, officials say.

Firefighters arrived at the scene on West Airy Lane in Norristown, Pa., Saturday night after one of the residents was alerted by a carbon monoxide detector.

Advertisement

Crews evacuated five homes on the street after finding elevated levels of carbon monoxide within.

Norristown Fire Chief Tom O'Donnell told CBS Philly the whole row of houses had been affected by the gas, with some testing for "over one-thousand parts per million."

Officials said the source was a generator that was running in the basement of one of the homes.

"Power to the home was shut off for non-payment by the utility company on the 21st of this month and sometime between then they went out and purchased a new generator and they were running that to power the home," WPVI quoted O'Donnell as saying.

Rescue workers took all eight victims, including a paramedic, to local hospitals, two in critical condition. Two dogs were provided with oxygen at the scene.

Advertisement

Abbreviated as CO, carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that that is produced from burning fuel. When built up indoors, it can be deadly to humans and animals.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, carbon monoxide poisoning kills more than 400 Americans per year from unintentional incidents not linked to fires.

Last month a Maryland man and his seven children were found dead of suspected CO poisoning. Police said the residence had no electricity, and the man had been using a generator to power the home.

Latest Headlines