A hotel in North Laredo was evacuated on Monday morning, September 16, after the carbon monoxide alarm was triggered. The Comfort Suites on Metro Court began the evacuation around 9 a.m.
According to the Laredo Fire Department, staff reported that the carbon monoxide alarm was activated. The building was evacuated, and there are no reports of injuries at this time. The fire department is currently investigating the situation.
Witnesses said several people fainted, and one was taken away on a gurney. Witnesses also said the hotel had limited staff and was quickly moving guests out of the building.
Authorities are still on the scene, and the investigation is ongoing.
LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) – The Amerik Suites Hotel on Calle del Norte and Metro Court has been evacuated following a carbon monoxide hazmat situation, according to the Laredo Police Department.
The alert came at around 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday. First responders are on the scene assessing the extent of the carbon monoxide exposure.
Guests and workers report limited information, noting only that there’s a gas leak. Firefighters are on the scene and will be working for some time, according to those at the scene. First responders were seen removing belongings from their units as they work to handle the situation.
Further updates will be provided as the situation develops.
Three hospitalized after hazmat situation at local hotel
Sep 12, 2024
Three people were taken to the hospital following a hazmat situation at a local hotel, according to the Laredo Fire Department.
Crews responded to the incident at about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Comfort Suites on 6551 Metro Court.
Initially this was reported as a medical call. Crews later upgraded the call to a hazmat incident.
First responders evacuated 13 rooms and eight employees. The three people taken to the Laredo Medical Center were in stable condition.
First responders said that the lobby area, elevator area, riser/boiler mechanical room, and upper floors all had high levels of carbon monoxide and natural gas.
Crews shut off the gas service to the property. Fire department suppression crews remained on scene to ventilate the building until gas levels were safe, according to reports.
Climate change is making extreme weather events like wildfires, floods and hurricanes more frequent and severe. Scientists now say that carbon monoxide poisonings are on the rise amid widespread power outages following those events. ProPublica’s Lexi Churchill joins Ali Rogin to discuss her recent reporting on this issue.
“Portable generators actually lead to about 70 deaths a year from CO poisoning, which makes portable generators one of the most dangerous devices that consumers can buy on the market.”
In South Fort Worth, neighbors in the Rosemont and Shaw Clarke neighborhoods said they are concerned about their health after a BNSF train idled for hours near W Biddison Street and Ryan Avenue, pumping out fumes.
Living along railroad tracks comes with its own set of unique hurdles, including noise and traffic delays. Residents said that their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors went off Tuesday after a train stopped Monday evening and didn’t move for hours.
In an email to NBC 5, a BNSF spokesperson said, “Most of our locomotives have automatic start/stop devices to prevent unnecessary idling. Unfortunately, that device is not functioning as intended on the locomotive in question. We are working to call a crew for that train and remove it.”
The train was allegedly moved on Tuesday afternoon.
“We also contacted the responding fire station for this neighborhood and confirmed there was no threat to the public,” BNSF said.
The Fort Worth Fire Department confirmed they responded to one call this week. While no hospitalizations were required, longtime residents like Theresa Alvarado said another train was idling nearby by Wednesday night.
“It’s something usual, but lately, I’m tired of it because it has been making me sick,” Alvarado said. “And I told my doctor I can’t breathe.”
According to BNSF, “For safety reasons, the locomotive is kept running to keep the air brake system charged. There are a few exceptions to this, such as if the temperature drops to the low 30s or if there is a crew member inside the locomotive. Trains will stop along our right of way as they are moving toward their final destination.”
When asked if it is normal for BNSF trains to idle for so long, a spokesperson for the railway company said, “It is perfectly normal. People have a misconception that trains only stop in a railyard. That is not the case.”
The company went on to explain trains are staged in this area for numerous reasons including service interruptions or congestions.
Alvarado and some of her neighbors said low rent keeps them in the neighborhood, but they don’t like what’s coming from the idling trains.
“It is a good neighborhood but, like I said, there is people other than me that don’t like the smoke. But they’re scared to say something because they’re scared they’re going to get reported,” Alvarado said. “It scares me. Sometimes it’s a week.”
And in the coming days, neighbors will see more BNSF workers and equipment in the area as the company starts a multi-week standard maintenance project.
“The project will ensure the reliability of our track structure. We appreciate the community’s patience during this time,” a spokesperson for BNSF said.
“Her family had routinely used the generator when the power was out, including during the 2021 freeze, which resulted in the worst carbon monoxide poisoning event in recent history. They always kept the device at a safe distance to prevent the colorless, odorless gas from seeping inside. On July 11, however, they moved it a few feet closer to their home in Cleveland, Texas, placing it under the porch in anticipation of rain from the hurricane.”
Incidents involving carbon monoxide are increasing, and we aim to ensure the safety of the community by sharing insights from our dispatch centers in unincorporated Harris County.
The current number does not fully represent the actual impact of carbon monoxide incidents being addressed.
Keep your family and neighbors safe by taking necessary precautions to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
Officers learned the man was visiting family at the home, but was not allowed to bring his dog inside the house. Family members said the man would normally open the garage door.
Patricia and David Ivie (photo courtesy of Buck Ivie)
On August 23, 2017, they left their home near Fort Worth and traveled to the Texas panhandle region for a family event. They checked into a Best Western in the town of Perryton and settled into Room 217, likely anticipating a normal, routine overnight hotel stay. However, this hotel stay would be far from normal or routine – and, within four months, their stay would cost both of them their lives…
“…a power generator was operating overnight inside one of the units. The manager of the apartment complex told ABC13’s Charly Edsitty that the power was out at the complex due to Wednesday’s storms…He also said the units do not have carbon monoxide detectors. They are not required because all of the stoves are electric at the complex.”
No information about source of CO or whether hotel had CO detection installed
“Five people were taken to a hospital after a carbon monoxide leak led to an evacuation of a downtown hotel, according to San Antonio Fire Department.
The incident happened just before noon Friday in the 100 block of Soledad Street, at the Hampton Inn & Suites San Antonio Riverwalk.
Fire officials said five people in the gym were not feeling well and their symptoms aligned with possible carbon monoxide poisoning.
All of them were evacuated outside for fresh air before being taken to a local hospital by EMS.
Two of the gymgoers needed further treatment and three others were taken for evaluation out of precaution, according to SAFD.
A Hazmat crew was called to the scene for air monitoring and they found high levels of carbon monoxide in the building, fire officials said.
SAFD crews worked quickly to evacuate the entire building and get each of the floors ventilated. They’re still working to pinpoint the source of the gas leak that led to the carbon monoxide buildup.”
Incident #2 this month at Olton ISD – detail in video attached to this news story.
“After a thorough inspection of all possible sources and/or locations for carbon monoxide. it was found that the gas powered dryer in the gym facility was leaking carbon monoxide back into the gym facility. We will be doing the following in response to our findings. First, we will be replacing the gas-powered dryer with an electric dryer. Second, out of an abundance of caution, we will be testing our current carbon monoxide detectors to ensure that they are functioning properly…”
“We will continue to have experts conduct air quality and ventilation monitoring to ensure that the kitchen and all District facilities are safe. Additionally, we have begun installing Carbon Monoxide and/or Carbon Dioxide detectors throughout the District. Finally, in order to exercise the utmost care, some of the older heating equipment in the district will be removed and possibly replaced.”
“At approximately 8:30 am two employees were overcome by carbon monoxide gas inside of the jail. Tyler Fire Department determined that the carbon monoxide came from a boiler at the jail…”
“A suspected carbon monoxide leak on Wednesday led to 15 people being taken to a hospital and the evacuation of Hotel Emma, San Antonio Fire Department officials said.
SAFD officials responded to the historic hotel at the Pearl around 11 a.m. for a report of a sick person complaining of nausea and headache. Upon arrival, several more people at the hotel complained of the same symptoms.
Most of the victims were hotel staff members and no life-threatening illnesses were reported, SAFD said.
The leak appeared to be isolated to one or two floors, SAFD said.
Hotel marketing officials said it could take several hours to reopen the hotel because crews need to find the source of the leak and repair it.
The Pearl sent the following statement in regards to the incident:
The safety and experience of our associates and guests is our top priority. Out of an abundance of caution, Hotel Emma has been safely evacuated and we are watching the situation closely. We are supporting SAFD’s evacuation efforts and keeping the area clear while they conduct their investigation. Southerleigh, which was also evacuated, will reopen at 4 p.m. this afternoon. The rest of Pearl’s properties have not been impacted and remain open.
The hotel sent a statement at 6 p.m. saying the hotel will not reopen Wednesday night:
In an abundance of caution, Hotel Emma has relocated our guests and staff for the evening and shut down the hotel for the night. We will continue to monitor the situation alongside the SAFD and test again in the morning. We thank the SAFD for their quick response and support. As always, the safety and comfort of our guests and staff remains our top priority.”
A followup story on the incident response to a family of 4 suffering CO poisoning in their home during last year’s ice storm in Texas…
“‘…this isn’t about an individual — it’s about a systemwide practice…if you’ve discovered this incident, and it probably isn’t the only one that they have, what are you going to do to prevent it from happening in the future?’”
“It’s hard to accept the fact that we showed up in such a quick fashion, yet we were unable to save even one life in this building,” Georgetown Fire Chief John Sullivan said…Officials believe the dogs likely died due to smoke inhalation. Hardt wishes the pet resort had a sprinkler and carbon monoxide system in place that could have possibly saved the dogs lives.”
“Imagine suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, reporting it, and then being fired for seeking medical attention. Toxic work environment? The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says yes.”
Houston, TX – “In January 2019, a worker at a Holiday Inn Express & Suites hotel in Waller alerted their employer that exposure to carbon monoxide made them ill and asked the employer to call an ambulance. In addition to refusing the worker’s request, the employer allegedly threatened to terminate the employee. After going to the hospital, the worker was terminated.”
“…it happened at Bida Vinh pool hall, 720 9th Avenue…preliminary information indicates several people needed a place to stay and they were staying inside the business. A generator had been placed outside.”
Dallas, TX – CO alarms provide an immediate alert when someone makes a life threatening mistake, like using a grill indoors. Hopefully these people are all okay and have no long term effects.
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