Kokomo, IN – Firefighters say two people narrowly escaped a fatal case of carbon-monoxide poisoning early Wednesday morning after they ran a gas generator for hours inside their home.
Taylor Township Fire and Rescue crews were dispatched to the 2800 block of Jaquelyn Court at around 2:02 a.m. on a report of unconscious person at the residence.
Fire Chief Jason Gunning said when responders arrived, they learned the two residents there had been operating a gas generator in the basement after a vehicle crashed into a utility pole and around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday and knocked out the electricity to the house.
Gunning said tests revealed levels of carbon monoxide throughout the house well over the limit which could kill a person after prolonged exposure. He said the levels of carbon monoxide in the basement were literally off the charts.
When responders made it to the bottom of the stairs, they reported the meter stopped counting and just flashed the # signs, indicating the max limit the meter will read, he said.
Gunning said the toxic air caused a woman at the residence to pass out on top of the stairs after coming up from the basement. A man there also reported feeling woozy, but was able to crawl out the back door and then re-enter the house through the front door to drag out the woman.
It would have been a fatal if he had not found her there, Gunning said.
One occupant was transported in stable condition to Community Howard Regional Health, and the other was treated and released on scene. Gunning said a cat inside the house was also able to be resuscitated on scene.
The cat didn’t look too well, so they used a pet oxygen mask and it perked right up after that, Gunning said.
Crews then worked for about two hours to ventilate the 3,000-square-foot home and completely clear the residence of carbon monoxide.
Gunning said the incident serves a reminder that every home should have a carbon monoxide detector, and operating a generator inside a house could have deadly consequences.
I don’t think the occupants of the house knew the severity of what could happen, but I think they learned, he said.