Lancaster, PA – The West Earl Fire chief and his family were hospitalized Sunday after they were exposed to extreme levels of carbon monoxide in their home on Allen Road.
We’re thankful to be alive, fire Chief Nate Stoltzfus, 37, said Monday. We’re thankful God spared our lives.
Stoltzfus said he developed a severe headache and weakness Sunday morning, mere hours after turning on a coal stove in the basement for the first time this season.
When his 7-month-old son woke up from a nap screaming, Stoltzfus called 911.
Stoltzfus, his wife, their 5-year-old daughter and their son were swiftly transported to WellSpan Ephrata Community Hospital, where they stayed until about 10 p.m. Sunday, he said.
They’re back in the house, which is safe now that West Earl fire crews emptied the coal stove and cleared the house on Sunday.
‘It’s nothing short of a miracle that everybody survived.’
Carbon monoxide levels in the basement were about 450 parts per million. On the first and second floors, Stoltzfus said, they were around 650 ppm.