CO Sickens 13 in Wisconsin Farmhouse

Feb. 25--ARCADIA -- The 13 people, including five children, injured by carbon monoxide poisoning at a rural Arcadia farmhouse Sunday afternoon will recover.

The property owner and police are thankful, adding they hope people learn not to use grills indoors as a heating source.

"I can't hardly believe something like that would happen," said Willis Breska, who owns the two-story home on Rainey Valley Road north of Arcadia and lives a short distance away. "They are my tenants in there, and I talked to them about the heat when we went over the contract.

"I hear they were using a charcoal grill in the house as an alternate heat source, so to speak," Breska added Monday. "There is an LP (liquefied petroleum) tank there, but it was empty. They didn't tell anyone about it though. I was just over there the other day, and they didn't say a thing; they should have.

"LP gas costs are really high, but something could have been worked out, I'm sure, rather than have people use a grill for heat," he said. "It's just terrible what happened. I'm glad to hear they will all be OK."

Ten of those treated were occupants of the house, including: Eucario Hernandez, 31; Maria Rojas, 27; Veronica Ortez-Cruz, 18; Hildeberto Hernandez, 19; Cipriano Cruz, 40; Cipriano Cruz II, 8; Rosio Cruz, 13; Devin Hernandez, 10 months; Abraham Montiel, 31; and Luz Estrella Hernandez, whose age is unknown.

The other victims were Arcadia police officer Kris Haines and two ambulance attendants, according to officials.

Breska was in La Crosse when he heard of the carbon monoxide poisoning, which was reported to the Trempealeau County sheriff's office at 4:32 p.m. Sunday.

"I was so surprised to hear about it because the place had just been remodeled with a new furnace and lines last fall," Breska said.

Breska said the home had two carbon monoxide detectors and two smoke alarms, but none of them went off. He believes the charcoal may have been started outside and then covered inside.

"I was in there, and there's hardly any smell of smoke," he said.

Sheriff Richard Anderson on Monday said his department received a call from a man "indicating his sister was dying."

Haines responded to the scene, went to the upstairs area and found four people down, including two semiconscious men and two children.

"While trying to assist them, he was overtaken by carbon monoxide," Anderson said, adding that Haines managed to exit the home.

Haines and some of the other victims were treated and released at Gundersen Tri-County Hospital in Whitehall.

Arcadia Fire Department personnel responded, as well as first responders and five ambulances. Three medical helicopters eventually transported patients from a staging area at the former Arcadia hospital, which closed in 2011.

"When we first got the call, we didn't know what we had," Anderson said. "First it was one, then four, then seven, and it kept growing."

Officers searched the residence numerous times for occupants.

"They searched three times or more," Anderson said. "This could have been a disaster. We're glad everyone's going to be OK."

Rupnow can be reached at 715-830-5831, 800-236-7077 or chuck.rupnow@ecpc.com.

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