WILLIMANTIC, Conn. — A Willimantic family survived a poisonous gas emergency in their home and now the family is speaking exclusively with FOX61 about the mistake that nearly cost them their lives.
Carbon monoxide -- or CO is generated by nearly every combustion appliance including your home’s own heating system. You can’t see it, smell it, or taste it. However, you can easily detect it. You can get a CO alarm for about $40 and it can save your life.
“I had to drag my father outside,” recounted Jesus Salazar.
It was a terrifying end to the weekend for his family. Jesus Salazar knew something was very wrong when his father and uncle collapsed inside their Gifford Avenue home Sunday afternoon.
“He passed out, got back up, passed out again, got back up and passed out a third time and I brought him outside," he recalls. "My father was using the bathroom. After he came out, he sat down, and he was unresponsive."
According to the fire department, the family was baking bread indoors with a propane fueled commercial oven.
“The tank wasn’t fully connected so it started leaking gas,” said Salazar. They quickly started feeling sick with symptoms that can include headache, dizziness, nausea, chest pain, and disorientation.
“Initially the call came in as possibly smoke in a home with unresponsive folks and the firefighters got on scene just before noon and found there was no smoke but quickly ascertained that there was carbon monoxide," said Willimantic Fire Chief Mark Scrivener.
Firefighters discovered the gas reached a toxic saturation of 250 parts per million and they knew they had to act quickly. They opened all the windows and doors.
“It’s a terrible idea to have any sort of combustion that’s unvented in the home,” said Chief Scrivener.
Six people were in the home at the time. Three of them became ill and were transported to Windham Hospital. From there, two people were flown by helicopter to New York. It’s the nearest hospital with a hyperbaric chamber which is used to increase a patient’s blood oxygen level.
After intensive oxygen therapy, everyone is back home in recovery.
“They are doing great. Better than before,” said Salazar.
So, whether it’s a generator, a turkey fryer or your home’s own heating system, it’s important to make sure it's well-ventilated and maintained, especially as you head into the holiday heating season.
“When your CO detector goes off a lot of time the natural reaction is to say well, I don’t see anything and I don’t smell anything and I don’t taste anything it must be a false alarm, but you can’t know that without having the firemen come to your house,” said Chief Scrivener.
The Willimantic family said they learned a valuable lesson not to bring those appliances indoors and to make sure they have both smoke and CO detectors installed.
Matt Caron is a reporter at FOX61 News. He can be reached at mcaron@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.
----
Do you have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iOS: Click here to download
Android: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.