11 Hospitalized by Carbon Monoxide Leak

Authorities in Villa Park believe a furnace was the source of a carbon monoxide leak that sickened 11 people in a home early Sunday morning. Villa Park Fire Department Lt. Chris Gilliland said an ambulance was called to the single-family home on the 200 block of West Division Street at 8:57 a.m. for a report of a 15-year-old with a headache. Crews that arrived found 10 others in the home between the ages of 6 and 61 suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, according to a news release. All 11 were taken to local hospitals and have since been released, officials said. At the house's entrance, the level of carbon monoxide — an odorless, colorless and tasteless gas — was at 300 parts per million, which can cause dizziness, nausea and headaches, authorities said. The carbon monoxide levels in the furnace room in the basement were at a lethal level, exceeding 1,000 parts per million, authorities said. The home's gas has been shut off, officials said, and residents must find another place to stay until the furnace is inspected and repaired. "These residents were very fortunate," Fire Chief Ron Rakosnik said. Authorities noted that state law requires working carbon monoxide detectors in every dwelling within 15 feet of every room used for sleeping but did not indicate whether the Division Street home was in compliance. The Elmhurst and Lombard fire departments, as well as the Addison, Oak Brook and York Center fire protection districts, assisted at the scene.
Source: JEMS Patient Care - Category: Emergency Medicine Tags: News Toxicology Hazmat General News Source Type: news