LEOMINSTER – When firefighters responded to a call of elevated carbonmonox-ide levels at a three-family home Wednesday morning, they were relieved to find no one home after detecting extremely high levels of the deadly gas.
“They were lucky,” Deputy Fire Chief Scott Cordio about residents of the triple-decker at 23 Fairmont St. “If anyone was in the home, the situation could have been very dangerous.”
Carbon-monoxide levels in the home were measured by responding firefighters at 500 parts per million, he said. The state considers levels below 9 parts per million to be safe.
Cordio said the department was alerted to the problem when the homeowners went to check on the unoccupied first-floor unit after hearing the carbon- monoxide detectors going off.
The responding firefighters discovered that the elevated levels of the gas were caused by a broken exhaust pipe on a heating unit.
“It’s a good thing they called,” he said.
The poisonous gas has no visible color, odor or taste. When carbon monoxide is inhaled, it can cause individuals to feel nauseated, dizzy and tired, and can lead to death.
Cordio said firefighters fixed the problem by shutting off the gas and ventilating the home with fans.
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