Little River, SC – A generator at a house without power from the massive ice storm poisoned several people with carbon monoxide fumes on Wednesday evening, officials said.
Lt. Julius Graham of the Horry County Fire and Rescue said crews were dispatched to a house on Loblolly Avenue in Little River at 6:47 pm for a carbon monoxide call.
A generator was outside the house but fumes still managed to get inside the home, Graham said.
Six people from the house were taken to area hospitals.
Officials stress that generators should never be inside a house and should be moved away from homes when they are in operation.
Carl Harris, a Lowe’s Home Improvement Employee, said people should know that generators can be dangerous if used inappropriately.
Harris told WNCT-Tv that the generator should be kept away from the home and shouldn’t be put in a covered area.
He also said with so many different types of generators in stores, people should make sure they are buying the one that meets their needs.
“Make sure you don’t try to run too much off the generator,” Harris said. “Make sure the generator has enough wattage for what you’re trying to run. You could overload your appliances and burn your appliances up.”