Snow Storm Increases Conn. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Cases

Oct. 31--OXFORD -- After a snowstorm left many homes in the region without power over the weekend, people began turning to electricity generators to heat their homes. State and local officials urged residents to be careful, since using generators improperly can lead to a build-up of carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas that can quickly kill people in unventilated spaces.

In the Naugatuck Valley, at least four people were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning Sunday, including a family in Ansonia, and an Oxford man working in his garage.

The Milford fire department responded Monday morning to an office building at 326 West Main St., that had to be evacuated because of high levels of carbon monoxide. The fire department used fans to clear the poisonous gas.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said during a Monday morning press briefing carbon monoxide may "be our biggest enemy at the moment."

Malloy said there were numerous calls overnight of high levels of carbon monoxide in homes, mainly because people brought gas grills or generators inside homes.

Malloy sternly warned residents not to bring gas-powered appliances into enclosed spaces. "Unless you have some other motive aside, do not bring a gas grill or kerosene heater into a closed space," he said. "You're gonna die, and potentially kill your neighbors and children."

Public health officials said the risk of poisoning is raised after storms, when power is out and temperatures drop.

"Every year we hear of cases of people who die because of carbon monoxide poisoning, so very important to be aware of this issue and use generators properly so you don't put yourself and your family at risk," said William Gerrish, spokesman for the state Department of Public Health.

Firefighters were dispatched to a home on Seth Den Road in Oxford after a man was reported unconscious Saturday night. He had started a generator in his detached garage with all the doors closed, said Dave Dubail, a firefighter with the Quaker Farms Fire Co. By the time firefighters arrived on the scene, he was in an ambulance, but conscious and talking, Dubail said. Because the doors were open, the firefighters' carbon monoxide reading registered at zero.

Quaker Farms firefighters responded to three carbon monoxide alarms on Sunday, but none turned out to be serious, Dubail said. He advised residents to keep generators as far away as possible from their homes and to never run them indoors. The DPH recommends keeping generators at least 20 feet away from homes and away from windows, doors, vents, and air-conditioning units. Dubail also advised residents to check that their carbon monoxide alarms are up to date and have fresh batteries. The DPH advises detectors outside of all sleeping areas.

Gerrish said some people use camp stoves or charcoal grills indoors to generate heat, but said they can also cause elevated carbon monoxide levels.

The Valley Indy reported three people were taken to Griffin Hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning Sunday after firefighters responded to a multi-family home on Cook Street. The issue was caused by a chimney and was related to recent construction, not the storm, the Valley Indy reported.

Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, sleepiness, chest pain and confusion. If you suspect poisoning, you should leave your house immediately and call 911.

No one was treated for carbon monoxide poisoning in Bridgeport Hospital or St. Vincent's Medical Center Sunday, nursing supervisors said.

More than 400 people die from carbon monoxide poisoning every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

People should also be careful when driving on the roads, officials said.

"Our biggest concern would be the live wires are still hanging to the ground and the snapped tree branches lying in the roadways," Oxford First Selectman Mary Ann Drayton-Rogers said. "We're asking residents to stay in."

Dubail urged commuters to be cautious of black ice when driving to work Monday morning.

Staff writer Tom Cleary contributed to this report.

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