Cheektowaga, NY – CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. Several elderly residents were forced from their homes after a carbon monoxide leak in an apartment building at the Williamstowne Village Senior Apartments Wednesday morning.
Doyle Hose Company responded to 49 Williamstowne just before 9 a.m. to investigate a carbon monoxide alarm.Firefighters found CO levels around 200 ppm.
200 [ppm] is a high level and if the exposure rate is low, it’s probably 10 or 15 minutes before you start feeling some flu-like symptoms.If you continue to be exposed to it, it could lead further and further to unconsciousness and death, said Jason Wojtaszczyk, 1st Assistant Chief of the Doyle Hose Company #1.
Two residents from the building were evaluated at the scene by American Medical Response for exposure to the carbon monoxide.They did not go to the hospital.
A total of six people from the nine unit apartment building were evacuated while firefighters used exhaust fans to ventilate the building.
I was surprised to see all of these guys coming in with their breathing gear onmy dog started barking at a couple of firemen because they had their suits on with their tanks.I said, ‘she thinks you guys are spacemen,’ said Tim Leahy an evacuated resident.
Wojtaszczyk says the source of the problem was traced to a faulty furnace in apartment 1.National Fuel shut the gas off to the building.
The building was deemed to be temporarily uninhabitable by Town building inspectors due to the lack of heat according to Richard Coburn, Supervising Code Enforcement Officer for the Town of Cheektowaga.Williamstowne management pulled permits to replace two furnaces and two hot water tanks in the building.
Williamstowne management found alternative housing for the residents and everyone can return home once the gas company pressure tests the system and restores heat to the building.