Eureka, CA – Three Eureka residents were rushed to the hospital Monday morning for carbon monoxide poisoning due to the combination of a broken heater and carbon monoxide detector with dead batteries, according to Humboldt Bay Fire (HBF), who responded to the scene.
On Feb. 26 at around 7:30 a.m., two HBF units responded to an apartment complex on the 1800 block of Myrtle Avenue for possible carbon monoxide exposure to three people. The first HBF engine arrived on-scene and found one adult and two juveniles outside their apartment, who said they were experiencing symptoms including headaches, nausea and near-fainting.
HBF said paramedics assessed the three patients and discovered they had all been exposed to toxic levels of the gas throughout the evening while sleeping. All three were treated on-scene with high-flow oxygen, then transported to St. Joseph Hospital by ambulance for treatment.
When fire personnel entered the apartment in “self-contained breathing apparatuses” they discovered “high levels” of carbon monoxide within the apartment, HBF said. Fire crews then contacted PG&E, and while waiting for their arrival, checked other apartments in the complex for carbon monoxide levels.
PG&E reportedly found that the wall heater inside the home was not functioning properly and was producing a fatal level of carbon monoxide within the apartment. HBF said crews also discovered that a carbon monoxide detector was in the apartment, however, it was not functioning because its batteries were dead.
“HBF reminds everyone to have a working Carbon Monoxide detector in their home and to replace the batteries on a regular basis,” the agency said.