Ithaca, NY – A building was evacuated and first responders took five people to a hospital Wednesday when a malfunctioning boiler in West Village apartments exposed residents to carbon monoxide.
Eventually 16 people were evaluated at Cayuga Medical Center, hospital spokesman John Turner said. Not all of them required treatment and all but one of them was released, Turner said. A 16-year-old patient was taken to SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse for further evaluation, Turner said.
The Ithaca Fire Department was called to the complex in the 600 block of Chestnut Street at 12:30 p.m. by maintenance staff, who asked that the area be metered for carbon monoxide because of a boiler problem.
One occupant was complaining of a headache and drowsiness when firefighters arrived, according to an Ithaca Fire Department news release. She also said children were sleepy and she had a hard time waking them up.
Another occupant reported that the CO detector was going off earlier, but he thought it was a low battery and took the detector down and removed the battery, according to IFD.
Bangs Ambulance was called and the area was metered for CO. High levels of carbon monoxide, a dangerous, colorless and odorless gas throughout the structure, according to IFD.
The building was evacuated and NYSEG was called to assist.
Spaces were ventilated by the fire department and Bangs ambulance took five people to Cayuga Medical Center. Other occupants told firefighters they would be checking on their children, who were in school, for any illness and go to the hospital as needed.
The cause was attributed to a 3-inch vent stack that had become disconnected from the running boiler, exhausting into the mechanical room, firefighters said. The exhaust likely traveled along the pipe chases into the connected apartments, IFD said.
A boiler contractor arrived to make repairs, and the scene was turned over to the building management and NYSEG.
NYSEG spokesman Bob Pass said the building was made safe by 1:27 and residents were allowed to reoccupy the building sometime after that.
IFD caution
The Ithaca Fire Department reminds everyone to have a working CO detector in their homes. Install a CO detector near the sleeping area, where it can wake you. Additional detectors on every level and in every bedroom of a home provides extra protection against carbon monoxide poisoning.
Do not to install carbon monoxide detectors directly above or beside fuel-burning appliances, as they may emit a small amount of carbon monoxide upon start-up. A detector should not be placed within 15 feet of heating or cooking appliances or in, or near, very humid areas such as bathrooms. If your CO detector chips once every 20 seconds or so, replace the battery. If your CO detector goes into full alarm, exit the home, and call 911. The Fire Department and the local Utility Company will come and investigate the problem.