Pawling, NY – A boiler malfunction caused the basement and some of the first floor of the Dutcher House building to fill with “very high levels” of carbon monoxide, said Pawling Fire Department Chief Everett White.
The entire building, which has businesses on the first floor and apartments on the other three, was evacuated, White said.
“The burner had been malfunctioning for a period of time…there was no fire,” White said. “We started a very extensive ventilation process.”
The burner’s motor was running but was still malfunctioning, and the fire alarms “were going off when we got there,” around 9:30 a.m., White said.
The Dutcher House is a restored, 160-year-old building, located on Oak Street in Pawling, according to rental information.
The chief said he’s not sure how long the burner had been malfunctioning for.
The building has been properly ventilated and residents are back in their apartments, as of about 11:30 a.m., he added.
The Pawling Fire Department was assisted by Patterson Fire Department and Town of Dover Emergency Medical Services.