Richmond, VA – Three people were taken to a hospital after they apparently were overcome by carbon monoxide this morning at a North Richmond apartment building.
Firefighters found two of the three unconscious when they responded to the building in the 600 block of Northside Avenue shortly after 9 a.m. for a report of a person down, said Richmond Fire Marshal David Creasy.
The two who were unconscious were given oxygen by emergency crews and had regained consciousness by the time they were transported by ambulance to VCU Medical Center to be further evaluated, Creasy said. The third person also exhibited symptoms of possible carbon monoxide poisoning but did not lose consciousness.
The building, which was divided into four apartments, was condemned by authorities so the structure could be ventilated and so building inspectors and others could work to determine what caused the incident, Creasy said. Initial indications were that there was a maintenance issue that could have been tied either to the building’s boiler or some other fuel-fed device inside the structure, leading to carbon monoxide poisoning, he said.
The Greater Richmond Chapter of the American Red Cross was called to provide emergency housing assistance to the displaced residents.