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.
Darrell Miller told Eyewitness News he was on a weekend getaway and staying at the hotel, but things took a turn early Sunday morning. Miller said he happened to wake up around 2 a.m. and after he went outside to the parking lot to see if his grandkids were back from fishing he came back inside to find people on the floor.
“When I come back in, there were people laying in the floor, puking and having trouble breathing,” he recalled. “No fire alarm went off. No carbon monoxide detectors went off, and I had to go literally door to door and beat on doors to get people out of there.”
BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (WDTV) – UPDATE: The West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office has released more information about a carbon monoxide leak that occurred at a Braxton County hotel Sunday.
Officials said Braxton County 911 received a call at approximately 2:35 a.m. from two adult female occupants of the hotel who said they did not feel well. The women were complaining of weakness, nausea and numbness in their extremities, had no knowledge of ingesting anything and knew no reason as to why they would both be sick.
EMS responded to the scene, found other individuals in the hotel who also did not feel well and called the fire department. When fire officials arrived on scene, they found elevated carbon monoxide levels within the structure, immediately turned off the natural gas service to the building, contacted the local gas utility and ventilated the building.
Seven patients were transported by EMS to a local hospital, and several individuals drove themselves to be evaluated, as well.
Later that morning, a member of the State Fire Marshal’s Office visited the hotel, conducted a fire safety inspection and issued a report. No carbon monoxide detection of any kind was found during that inspection, officials said.
The hotel installed temporary carbon monoxide detectors and ordered permanent units to attach to their current fire alarm system, officials said, as state law requires that hotels have them.
John Hoffman, the Director of Braxton County Emergency Management, says that 60 people were staying at the Microtel Inn near Gassaway at the time and that seven of them were taken to the hospital.
Hoffman believes out of the seven, only one is still in the hospital.
He says his team did find carbon monoxide in the building. They are still checking where it came from.
Braxton County dispatchers say the call came in around 2 a.m. Sunday morning.
The West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office was also contacted during this incident.
Crews with the Gassaway and Sutton Fire Departments responded to the scene.
BRAXTON COUNTY, W.Va. (WCHS) — A Braxton County hotel where multiple people were hospitalized due to carbon monoxide exposure did not have detectors installed prior to the incident, state fire officials said.
Emergency officials were called to the Microtel Inn at 115 Reston Place near Gassaway about 2:35 a.m. Sunday after two occupants said they did not feel well and were complaining of weakness, nausea and numbness in their extremities, a news release from the West Virginia State Fire Marshal’s Office said.
The individuals stated they had no knowledge of ingesting anything and had no known reason as to why both would be sick.
Once on scene, EMS crews began finding more people at the hotel who did not feel well. A total of seven people were taken to local hospitals for treatment and several others drove themselves, according to the news release.
While evaluating the scene, officials said they found elevated carbon monoxide levels within the hotel and natural gas service was immediately turned off.
During an inspection by the fire marshal’s office, investigators conducted a fire safety inspection where they said “no carbon monoxide detection of any kind” was found, according to the news release.
Investigators said the hotel had installed temporary carbon monoxide detectors by the afternoon hours and had ordered permanent detectors that could be attached to its fire alarm system that have since been installed.
The gas-fired water heaters were serviced the same day by a licensed contractor and placed back in service.
West Virginia state code requires carbon monoxide detectors in apartment buildings, boarding houses, dormitories, hospitals, long-term care facilities, adult or childcare facilities, assisted living facilities, one- and two-family dwellings that are intended to be rented or leased, hotels and motels, public and private educational occupancies.
Mat Johnson was staying at the hotel when the incident happened and is wondering why the hotel didn’t have detectors in the first place.
“Whenever I found out that they didn’t have any carbon monoxide detectors, I was pretty frustrated to be honest with you, a little bit more frustrated than I was before,” he said. “I think about a place like that, a place of business, that they would have everything up to code.”
Johnson said since the incident, he bought a portable carbon monoxide detector to take with him when he stays in a hotel from now on.
“I’m just super nervous about that happening again,” he told Eyewitness News.
“The past 20 years have seen more than a thousand injuries from carbon monoxide leaks in U.S. hotels, with 32 people, including seven children, dying – that’s according to the non-profit Jenkins Foundation, which tracks carbon monoxide incidents at hotels.”
SPENCER, IA (KTIV) – One person was hospitalized after Spencer Fire Rescue were called to the Holiday Inn in Spencer, IA because of high carbon monoxide levels Saturday.
According to Spencer Fire Rescue, they were called Saturday night to assist Black Hills Energy. Five customers had to be evacuated.
A faulty heating system was identified as the potential problem according to authorities.
A Laguna Beach, California, couple filed a lawsuit against Sun Valley Co. last month, alleging that four members of their family suffered carbon-monoxide poisoning while on resort property in December 2022.
George Sumner and Lauren Sumner are asking for compensation of more than $10,000 for alleged negligence and “significant bodily injuries,” according to their initial complaint, filed in 5th District Court by Boise-based attorney David Comstock.
According to the lawsuit, the couple booked a guest cottage near the Sun Valley Pavilion for themselves, their two minor children and George Sumner’s parents for Dec. 21-27, 2022. The two-story house at 152 Baldy View Loop was built in 1950 and is heated by a basement gas furnace, Comstock wrote. The type of heating system was allegedly not specified in the vacation listing, he said.
Blood tests administered to three members of the Sumner family in the St. Luke’s Wood River emergency room on Dec. 23, 2022, allegedly showed that Lauren, George’s mother, Melinda, and Melinda’s husband, Steven, had carboxyhemoglobin levels between 13-16%, the lawsuit states.
Levels above 2% for nonsmokers and 9% for smokers indicate carbon-monoxide poisoning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People with underlying heart conditions may die at an exposure level above 10%, and levels over 50% are lethal, according to the CDC.
The Sumners’ complaint stated that, upon arriving at the cottage on Dec. 21, 2022, the family realized that the heat had not been turned on and ate dinner at the adjacent Sun Valley Lodge while waiting for the home to warm up. The children slept in twin beds on the second floor while adults slept on the first floor that night, Comstock stated.
However, on the morning of Dec. 22, 2022, both children allegedly woke up feeling “unwell” and suffered vomiting, “stomach aches, headaches, and nausea” over the next few hours, the complaint stated. Lauren Sumner and George Sumner’s mother, Melinda Grubbs-Sanders, also allegedly awoke with headaches that morning, Comstock stated.
Lauren and Melinda stayed behind in the cottage to rest and supervise the children that morning, according to the lawsuit. Lauren allegedly called St. Luke’s for health advice on Dec. 22 and was advised to “try over-the-counter supplemental oxygen and electrolyte tablets,” Comstock wrote. These measures allegedly improved the older child’s health, but the younger child “was still nauseous and vomiting into the evening” as temperatures outside dropped to around zero degrees, Comstock stated.
When the Sumner family awoke the next morning, Dec. 23, “many of their symptoms had grown worse,” the lawsuit stated. Melinda Grubbs-Sanders allegedly “awoke with the same headache and almost lost her balance in the shower after experiencing severe lightheadedness,” and Steven Grubbs-Sanders “also awoke feeling lightheaded and struggling to catch his breath,” according to the complaint.
Because the younger child was still vomiting and she still had a headache, Lauren stayed behind in the cottage on Dec. 23 while her husband and their older child left to go skiing, the lawsuit stated. While showering on Dec. 23, Lauren allegedly “got so lightheaded she almost fainted” and lay on the shower floor and bathroom floor because she could not walk, Comstock stated.
When George returned with the older child, he allegedly “found Lauren severely disoriented” and, suspecting a gas leak, opened the bedroom windows “to get fresh air into the house,” according to the lawsuit. He allegedly called a front-desk resort employee, who arranged for a maintenance worker to stop by the cottage about two hours later.
The lawsuit states that the maintenance worker arrived with a carbon-monoxide detector. The device allegedly went off as soon as the worker entered the cottage. Another HVAC technician hired by the resort allegedly entered the cottage with a different carbon-monoxide detector, which also began beeping, according to the lawsuit. The latter technician allegedly turned off the furnace, opened up another door and instructed the family to exit “immediately,” the complaint stated.
The technician’s concern allegedly prompted the family to seek treatment in the emergency department at St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center in Ketchum the night of Dec. 23, 2022. Lauren, the younger child, Melinda, and Steven each required supplemental oxygen at the hospital to remove CO gas from their systems, the complaint stated.
“Blood tests showed that Lauren had an elevated heart rate, and her carboxyhemoglobin level was 15.3 (percent),” Comstock wrote. Melinda’s carboxyhemoglobin level was allegedly 13.1% at the time she was tested, and Steven’s slightly higher, at 13.6%. The child allegedly had “similar or worse carbon monoxide poisoning” than Lauren, the lawsuit said.
The Sumner family also sought hyperbaric oxygen therapy on Dec. 24 and Dec. 26 to treat its alleged carbon-monoxide poisoning, according to the lawsuit. Comstock did not specify where that treatment took place.
The family left Idaho on Dec. 29, but the family members’ symptoms “persisted or worsened” after returning home, Comstock stated. Lauren Sumner allegedly continued to experience “anxiety, chest pains, shortness of breath and brain fog,” while Melinda Grubbs-Sanders continued to experience “shortness of breath, brain fog, and unsteadiness” and the younger child “nausea, headaches, blurred vision” and emotional disturbances, the complaint said.
The four affected family members allegedly sought out “more hyperbaric oxygen treatments, brain scans, echocardiograms, MRIs” and neurological exams after their vacation in Sun Valley. “It is unknown if all the effects of their carbon-monoxide poisoning have been fully discovered or resolved,” Comstock wrote.
The civil lawsuit ultimately alleges negligence, accusing Sun Valley Co. of breaching its duty of maintaining the guest cottage “in a safe condition” and failing to inspect its premises “for conditions or hazards that could pose a threat to guests.” The Sumner family is therefore seeking “economic and noneconomic damages” for “severe emotional distress … accompanied by physical manifestations.”
“Plaintiffs’ injuries have caused and continue to cause great mental and physical distress, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life,” the lawsuit states. “[Plaintiffs] … will continue to incur medical expenses and other expenses related to their injuries for some time into the future. The exact amount of said expenses is unknown to the plaintiffs at the present time but will be proven with particularity at the time of trial.”
The family has demanded a jury trial with “no less than 12 people.” As of press time, Comstock had not responded to requests for comment and Sun Valley Resort declined to comment
When making vacation plans, most travelers include a safety plan to protect themselves against things like being stranded or getting mugged. Very few consider the possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning in their hotel or Airbnb. There is an easy way to protect you and your loved ones from the hidden danger.
The past 20 years have seen more than 1,000 injuries from carbon monoxide leaks in U.S. hotels, with 32 people, including seven children, dying – that’s according to the non-profit Jenkins Foundation, which tracks carbon monoxide incidents at hotels. While smoke alarms are normally required in every hotel room by law, there is no such law for carbon monoxide detectors, nor are they required by Airbnb, which has seen 10 carbon monoxide deaths in Chile and Mexico in the past five years. What makes the gas so dangerous is that it’s odorless and colorless. The most common causes of carbon monoxide poisoning in hotels are boilers and heaters used to warm swimming pools and water for an entire wing, according to Dr. Lindell Weaver, who specializes in carbon monoxide poisoning. “Carbon monoxide can go through drywall very easily,” Dr. Weaver said. “It can move through crevices and little holes. So, indeed, people often have been poisoned, sometimes quite a distance, remote, from the poisoning or carbon monoxide source.”
Dr. Weaver encourages travelers to buy a portable carbon monoxide alarm. They cost anywhere from $30 to $100, they’re small, and they don’t take up much room in your luggage. Packing at least one will protect you and your loved ones from the dangers of this deadly gas.
It’s crucial to seek medical treatment as soon as you start feeling sick. If you’re staying at a hotel or resort, there may be a nurse or medical professional on staff who can assess your condition.
Richard (left) was 53 and his son, Tom, was 26, when they took a Christmas holiday trip to Florida… “Tom and I arrived in Key West, checked into our room, and went out, toured around town, had dinner, and we had a great time. The next morning, I was getting into the shower and Tom was on the bed reading a book. That was my last vision of him.” (photo courtesy of Richard Lueders)
“RFD officials say after investigating, a carbon monoxide leak was confirmed, and hotel guests were evacuated…fire dept. worked with the Kahler’s maintenance staff to identify and stop the source of the carbon monoxide.”
No information released on the source nor if there is any installed CO detection onsite.
The Rochester Fire Department and then worked with the maintenance staff at the hotel to identify the source of the carbon monoxide. That source was not identified in the Rochester Fire Department news release.
The couple died during their stay at the Steigenberger Aqua Magic Hotel in Hurghada, Egypt –
“Dr James Adeley, senior coroner for Lancashire sitting at Preston Coroner’s Court, ruled that the deaths on August 21, 2018 were caused by the spraying of the pesticide containing dichloromethane, in the adjoining room and the couple then inhaling the vapour resulting in their deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning… in less developed countries the pesticide Lambda is sometimes diluted with another substance, dichloromethane, which causes the body to metabolise or ingest carbon monoxide.”
Daughter whose parents died abroad calls for tour operators to take responsibility over hotel safety
“‘You don’t expect your parents to die in front of you within hours of one another’.
Kelly Ormeod is calling for tour operators to take more responsibility for safety in hotels abroad after her parents died of carbon monoxide poisoning in Egypt.”
“Clement is a Licensed Practical Nurse at Mayo Clinic and said when she first saw the child she wasn’t breathing, and her lips were blue.
‘I didn’t feel a pulse on her,’ Clement said. ‘So, I started CPR and she came back after less than a minute, but she still wouldn’t wake up.’
Clement said she thought the girl had been in the pool but found out later from police that the girl had been walking around and passed out.”
No information on source of CO or status of CO detection/alarm equipment. A reminder to carry a CO alarm when traveling and to keep it with you when spending time in any area of the hotel, including the pool area (due to a high number of CO incidents involving pool heaters).
Fire officials stress importance of quick response to carbon monoxide incident at Rochester hotel
“…authorities discovered the source of the carbon monoxide came from a gas-burning appliance near the pool area…Rochester Fire Captain Caleb Feine said every firefighter has a mobile carbon monoxide detector on their gear. ‘If this goes off and alerts us that carbon monoxide may be present, get our more specific, bigger monitors out and they will help verify the readings we are getting and we can determine if there’s a problem from there…’”
Great to see these clip-on monitors featured in this story. Hopefully one day these will be standard issue for all fire departments in the U.S.
Multiple people treated for CO poisoning. No mention of installed CO detection.
“A hazmat team found readings of carbon monoxide on the second floor and the building was evacuated…Fire crews and hotel staff had not been able to find the source of the leak, but Barto said the issue was expected to be fixed within a week as the hotel changed the building’s pipelines.”
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Several Lincoln Fire & Rescue crews responded to a gas leak at the Kindler Hotel on Tuesday.
Crews were sent to the hotel near 11th and P streets around 3:20 p.m. on a fire alarm call.
LFR Battalion Chief Jeremy Gegg said it turned out to be a gas leak, and a couple of rooms had high levels of carbon monoxide.
People were evacuated, and firefighters went through the hotel and the adjacent Misty’s Steakhouse to find the source of the gas leak.
Eventually, crews found that two water heaters were malfunctioning, and they started ventilating the hotel.
Gegg said the carbon monoxide level was as high as 70 parts per million, which is dangerously high.
He said it’s a good reminder that as we go into the cooler months, it’s important to check your appliances.
“Really, the best thing to do is just work with a heating and air contractor to have them thoroughly check your furnace before the heating season,” Gegg said.
And if you think something is off, always call your local fire department.
“Even if you feel fine and you might think that the carbon monoxide detector is just malfunctioning, there is definitely a likelihood that it’s doing its job,” Gegg said.
SANTA CRUZ — A local hotel’s guests were rushed to an area hospital late Saturday night for treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning, authorities said.
Responding to a report of occupants in medical distress shortly after 11 p.m. at the Ocean Street business, Santa Cruz firefighters investigated what they quickly believed was a gas leak after encountering two individuals suffering acute carbon monoxide poisoning, according to a department release.
With the help of gas monitoring equipment, firefighters discovered carbon monoxide had been leaking into an unoccupied hotel mechanical room and spreading to the building’s east wing. Firefighters woke up several hotel guests, evacuated 14 rooms and temporarily displaced 25 people. Varying levels of carbon monoxide were present in the affected rooms, according to the agency.
The leak’s source was traced to a faulty ventilation system attached to a bank of hot water heaters. Firefighters ventilated the affected areas before returning the building over to its owner.
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…
Followup on the death of hotel maintenance worker last November at the Victory Inn & Suites in Ann Arbor, Michigan –
“This death was 100% preventable.”
“A willful designation was used for two of the fatality-related violations due to the employer’s history of noncompliance with state and municipal fire, boiler and building codes. The employer’s knowledge of the worker’s inexperience with boiler-type heating systems also shows the employer’s plain indifference to employee health and safety and MIOSHA rules.”
Dick Cummings and Max Kipfer two months after Max’s CO poisoning. Max has saved Dick’s pivotal voicemail on his cell phone: “Max, it’s Dick. We’re breaking down your door.” (photo courtesy of Max Kipfer)
“The Boston Fire Department responded to a call from the hotel around 10 p.m. that its carbon monoxide alarm was going off…fire officials detected “high levels” of carbon monoxide throughout the hotel when they arrived, necessitating a full evacuation…(Fire Dept spokesperson) said he did not know whether the underlying cause of the leak was fixed permanently.”
CRFD and CRPD Respond to Possible Carbon Monoxide Leaks at Motel 6 on SW side –
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(July 08, 2023 – 3:10p.m.)
Cedar Rapids, IA –
Cedar Rapids Police and Cedar Rapids Firefighters responded to multiple calls for service regarding potential gas or vapor exposure at Motel 6 – 616 33rd Ave SW on Saturday. The first call came at 10:14a.m., the second at 1:44p.m.
The first call ended when utility crews indicated they had secured what they believed to be the source of the exposure and rectified the issue. A few hours later, guests at the hotel began complaining of symptoms in-line with gas exposure and the fire department was called again to respond. At this point, firefighters evacuated the building and began a room-by-room search ensuring all residents were safely moved. Other fire crews searched for the source of the leak and ventilated the building. Utility crews – at the time of the posting – are working to locate the source of the exposure and mitigate the issue. At this time, it is not known now how long guests will be displaced.
One patient was evaluated by Area Ambulance crews but did not require further treatment or transport to medical care. No firefighter injuries are reported in this event.
The cause of the exposure is still under investigation.
“A clogged lint trap was discovered in a dryer in the building’s laundry room, which was blocking carbon monoxide produced by the machine from leaving through the exhaust pipe and instead was leaking into the laundry room.”
“The best way to protect yourself from toxic levels of this gas is by having a working carbon monoxide detector that can alert you if you are in danger.”
“Recent traveler deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning in hotels and home rentals serve as reminders why this safety device is a packing list essential. Here’s what you need to know to protect yourself.”
Comparison of four low-level carbon monoxide alarms suitable for home use
or when traveling. Undersea Hyperb Med. 2022 Third Quarter; 49(3):307-313.
Introduction/Background: Interest in carbon monoxide (CO) alarms that are more sensitive than is
required for standard residential CO alarms is growing, as reflected by increased marketing of “low-level” alarms capable of measuring CO levels as low as 10 PPM. At the same time, publicity surrounding
CO poisoning events among travelers in lodging facilities has stimulated interest in travel CO alarms.
We sought to evaluate four low-level alarms that could be used in the home and especially when
traveling.
Materials/Methods: Two each of four brands of low-level alarms (CO Experts, Forensics, Kidde, and
Sensorcon) were acquired by retail purchase and tested. The eight alarms were simultaneously
exposed in an environment with a slowly increasing level of CO from indoor burning of charcoal
briquets. CO levels displayed on the alarms were recorded once per minute. Activation of preset alerts
on the alarms were noted. Finally, alarms were compared for ease of use and features available.
Results: All brands of alarms measured CO similarly over the range from 10-120 PPM. All alarms
performed as claimed by their manufacturers, both regarding range of CO reported and preset alert
activation. Each alerted at CO levels below that required by the Underwriters Laboratories 2034
Standard.
Summary/Conclusions: Since all low-level CO alarms tested measured CO similarly, consumers seeking
a low-level CO alarm for use while traveling should base their decision on features desired and price.
There are definite differences between the alarms tested, in terms of features, expected durability,
ease of operation and price.
Hyatt Hotel Rancho Pescadero in El Pescadero in the state of Baja California Sur –
“In a statement Wednesday, the local attorney general’s office said both had died from “intoxication by substance to be determined.” Earlier reports of the deaths suggested more specifically that gas inhalation was suspected.”
“A Hyatt spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about whether rooms at Rancho Pescadero, which start at more than $600 a night, are equipped with carbon monoxide detectors.”
Current and former employees at a luxury hotel in Mexico where two Americans were found dead said managers ignored signs of a possible gas leak and disabled carbon monoxide detectors so alarms would not disturb guests.
“’They knew there were problems with a gas leak,’ Ricardo Carbajal, the former night manager of Rancho Pescadero, told The Los Angeles Times.
Mr Carbajal, who stopped working at the luxury hotel in March, said carbon monoxide detectors went off frequently over a period of three months last year before hotel managers disabled the alarms due to noise complaints.”
After the second call “…(building inspector) orders shut down all mechanical equipment, including hot water and gas stoves…his department is awaiting an engineer’s report on the source of the problem before further action is taken.”
S01 E13 – The sad reality of CO poisoning-Kris Hauschildt of The Jenkins Foundation
Did You Know?-The ESCO HVAC Podcast by ESCO Institute
We often assume our health and safety is of utmost concern from hotels and commercial buildings while we are traveling. Right? Take a moment to join Kris and I as we relive her terrifying reality of Carbon Monoxide and the lack of monitoring in commercial spaces.
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.”
“Guests and staff evacuated The Oread Hotel Monday afternoon after a carbon monoxide alarm went off in the laundry room.
Lawrence Douglas County Fire Department (LDCFM) responded around 2:30 p.m. Dispatch reported a carbon monoxide emergency with illness at the Oread, Rich Llewellyn, LDCFM fire chief, said.
‘The fire department had us evacuate the building until they could determine that it was safe to reenter,’ Tad Stricker, the Oread’s general manager, said.
Guests and employees evacuated for about 30 minutes while the fire department inspected the issue, Stricker said.
‘We did find elevated carbon monoxide levels in the laundry room,’ Llewelyn said. ‘We monitored for carbon monoxide throughout the structure and found no elevation outside of the laundry room.’
Four employees went to an urgent care facility after saying they felt dizzy and lightheaded, Stricker said.
As of now, they have cleared the carbon monoxide from the lower level by using exhaust shafts that are built into the garage. The problem was fixed by a technician who was already on site, according to Llewelyn.
According to the hotel, all of the guests and employees are back inside the building, and normal operations have resumed.
‘As a precaution, we have shut down our laundry room until we can determine the cause,’ Stricker said.
Llewelyn said that this is a good lesson for everyone to have a working carbon monoxide detector.
‘Whether you live in an apartment or house or even have a business, it’s always important to have a carbon monoxide detector available,’ Llewelyn said.
“You’ve got your suitcase packed with clothes, shoes, and toiletries, and your carry-on has your passport, phone, and laptop. But one thing you are likely missing is a portable carbon monoxide detector. While you may already have one in your home, have you ever thought about bringing a carbon monoxide detector on the road? There have been a number of instances when hotel or vacation-home rental guests have been killed by carbon monoxide poisoning. The gas is odorless and tasteless, which is why it’s crucial to have a detector on hand.”
“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.”
“We put carbon monoxide detectors in our homes to make us aware of any odorless leaks coming from our furnace, stove or generator. However, when staying in hotels, Airbnbs, RVs, tents, campers, etc., there could either be a lack of carbon monoxide detectors in general, or a lack of knowing if they’re working or not.”
“Firefighters said just after 5 p.m., they got multiple calls about people feeling sick at the resort and conference center near Denver International Airport.”
“Over one week in 2019, two people went to the hospital after they were exposed to carbon monoxide at the resort, the Denver Post reported. That leak came from work being done in the boiler room, the outlet reported.”
“Crews entered the hotel and found a maintenance worker inside the boiler room deceased… Testing showed the boiler room contained carbon monoxide levels in excess of 500 parts per million…”
“Charles Suire, 49, of Ann Arbor, was found dead Monday, November 28, in the boiler room of the Victory Inn, 3750 Washtenaw Ave., according to the Ann Arbor Police Department.
Police were contacted by Ann Arbor Public Schools around 12:30 p.m. Monday to conduct a health and welfare check after a 14-year-old student who was staying at the hotel with his mother and father failed to show up for school. said the police.
Officers came and met with the teenager, who said he did not go to school because he was worried about his father Suire, who left her room around 3pm the previous day and had not returned, police said…Investigators reviewing the hotel’s surveillance video saw Suire enter the boiler room alone around 3pm and did not come out…”
Carbon monoxide exposure can be deadly but it’s often the last thing people consider while traveling. Tanya Rivero reports on the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, the lack of regulations in U.S. hotels, and what you can do to protect yourself and your family this holiday season.
“It’s wise to assume that your hotel room does not have a CO detector in place, according to advocates who urge people to pack their own battery-powered or plug-in devices when traveling, noting that regulations vary.”
Jenkins Foundation hotel incident data is included in this new NFPA Fire Protection Research Foundation report which gives a comprehensive look at CO data collection in the U.S., with a focus on commercial building exposure incidents.
“He was not the first guest to fall ill in Room 205. Just when Pawel Markowski thought that nothing could shake him more than nearly losing his life to a carbon monoxide leak at a hotel in Catoosa, Okla., his lawyer sent him the Fire Department’s report.
‘We have previously responded to this exact room number two other times in the last two weeks,’ Denus Benton, Catoosa’s fire chief, wrote….”
“…a total of 24 patients were treated after the incident at Stonegate Lodge on East Van Buren Avenue. Ten were transported to hospitals, including four who were airlifted. One patient initially transported to Eureka Springs Hospital was flown out of that facility in critical condition…”
“In Arkansas, hotels are not required to have carbon monoxide detectors. Eureka Springs fire officials could confirm Tuesday whether the Stonegate Lodge had them.”
“The Hampton Inn in Bow was evacuated Tuesday night after elevated levels of carbon monoxide triggered alarms.
Bow Fire Chief Eliot Berman said the incident, which began shortly before 8:30 p.m., was traced to a problem with one of the hotel’s furnaces.
Guests spent a couple hours outside while fire department personnel went through the building. “We had to evaluate five or six individuals, but nobody was transported to the hospital,” the chief said. “Everybody was fine.”
Berman said the furnace involved was shut down, and firefighters ventilated the building.
Once carbon monoxide levels returned to acceptable levels, guests were allowed back inside shortly before 11 p.m., he said.”
“Fire Department records show Catoosa Firefighters had been called out to the same room in the same hotel for the same reason, two times in the previous two weeks. Pawel Markowski says his coworker saved his life. Markowski didn’t show up for a business meeting which isn’t like him, so his coworker went to the Hampton Inn and Suites and convinced the staff to unlock Markowsi’s room and they found him on the floor unconscious.”
“…we have taken additional measures such as engaging environmental safety experts for a comprehensive review of all systems across the resort…CO detectors have now been placed in all guest rooms at Sandals Emerald Bay and although not mandated in any Caribbean destination where we operate, detectors will be installed in all guest rooms throughout the portfolio…”
It should not take a tragedy to install CO detection in a commercial building serving the public, especially one where people are sleeping.
“The cause of it was (that) one of the water heaters for the business had a mechanical failure and it was venting into the mechanical room itself which was then getting into the rooms of the residents”
More on this hotel CO incident in Lakeland, Florida. According to the video portion of this story, hotel was not required to have CO detection installed due to its age.
“Marysville Fire investigators and other area officials conducted a follow-up investigation on what caused the hotel pool area to fill with carbon monoxide on January 28 making several people sick.”
“Before 5:30 p.m., the Marysville Fire Department received a call about several people, including a 2-year-old girl, unconscious at the Hampton Inn on Square Drive.”
“…alarms had been going off, but residents were advised by management that the alarm batteries were being changed and there was no issue within the building,” police said.
“Fire personnel located the room with the greatest concentration of the gas at 150 ppm. They discovered a detached exhaust pipe from a natural gas-fired hot water heater and determined the carbon monoxide…was being released in the room…If CO alarms were not present or not operating properly this incident could have surely proven fatal.
SHAES (South Haven Area Emergency Services) withheld the name and address of the hotel to preserve anonymity.”
“U.S. Rep. Angie Craig, D-Eagan, reintroduced last week the Safe Stay Act, which would require the installation of carbon monoxide detectors in each hotel and motel room across the country…The Safe Stay Act would require the installation of compliant carbon monoxide alarms and detectors in every hotel and motel room nationwide, similar to requirements for smoke detectors and sprinklers. If enacted, the legislation would represent the first significant update to existing law dealing with fire safety rules in hotels and motels in three decades. To ensure compliance with the Safe Stay Act, hotels and motels would have to provide guests at check-in a written notice attesting that they are in compliance with the requirements of the Safe Stay Act. Failure to do so would be considered an unfair or deceptive act or practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act, which helps protect consumers from substantial unavoidable injury.”
“About 40 people were evacuated from the Comfort Suites in Freeport Tuesday morning after the gas-fired water heaters malfunctioned and caused a carbon monoxide leak. Firefighters arrived on scene around 9 a.m. A hotel maintenance worker noticed the leak Monday afternoon, but didn’t call 911.”
“The occupancy of the building has been deemed a serious hazard due to the installation of five natural gas-fired fuel water heaters that are not vented to the exterior of the building, according to the violation notice.
This results in the exhausting of carbon monoxide into the occupied building in quantities more than those deemed hazardous or fatal to human life, according to the notice. The heaters were installed without application, review, approval or inspection.“
MORRIS TOWNSHIP, NJ — Authorities responded to a carbon monoxide leak early Tuesday morning at the Westin Governor Morris…firefighters from the five Morris Township stations and Madison worked to locate the source and evacuate guests. Officials located readings on all floors and secured issues with the boiler…”
“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.”
“At around 9:53 a.m. fire officials said that everyone in the 9-story Crown Plaza Hotel, located at 138-10 135th Avenue by JFK airport was being evacuated, as carbon monoxide levels reached 100-200ppm throughout the whole building — a “dangerous” level according to safety experts. One EMS member was hurt during the evacuation, and taken to Elmhurst Hospital…”
York County Fire & Life Safety Responds to a Gas Leak at the Embassy Suites Hotel—Mooretown Road in Bruton Area of York County
Late last night, personnel from the York County Department of Fire & Life Safety along with automatic mutual aid units from the James City County Fire Department and the Williamsburg Fire Department responded to a report of a gas leak at the Embassy Suites, located at 3006 Mooretown Road in the Bruton area of York County. Upon arrival, personnel entered the structure and discovered high levels of carbon monoxide and natural gas. Crews began to evacuate the hotel’s occupants. Additional medical resources were requested and a total of six patients were evaluated and/or treated at the scene, one of which was transported by medic unit to a local hospital. Crews secured the gas and ventilated the structure. The Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue responded specialized ventilation apparatus/equipment. Virginia Natural Gas responded to the scene and the cause of the situation is under investigation.
Upon completion of extension ventilation efforts and air quality returned to normal levels hotel guests and staff were allowed to return to the building. All fire/rescue units have since cleared the scene.
Questions can be directed to the York County Department of Fire & Life Safety at 757-890-3600.
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.”
NFPA’s “…updated messaging (includes) directing people to choose hotel/motels that are protected by smoke and CO alarms, as well as sprinklers, and recommends the use of travel CO alarms…”
“When you book your first post-COVID-19 vacation rental, do you know if the hotel you book or home you rent requires CO alarms? The Fire Protection Research Foundation conducted a literature review to summarize existing requirements for installation of CO detection devices and consolidated the available and pertinent non-fire CO incident data.”
“In addition to installing CO detectors, every hotel should establish preventative maintenance schedules to properly maintain and inspect CO emitting equipment and their ventilation systems. They should also provide the necessary training education to their staff and especially their maintenance staff. Hotels should have knowledgeable engineers on staff and contract out maintenance of HVAC systems. Hotel franchisors need to fully understand the risk of CO poisoning and take a proactive stance to protect the guests who are sleeping in their hotels.”
We’ve added a new page to our website with data, links and resources related to carbon monoxide poisoning in U.S. hotels. It’s the travel season – be aware of CO and pack an alarm when you go.
These are the sweet faces of the Boughter family: Yvonne and Patrick and their daughters Kelly and Morgan. On this weekend 14 years ago, they checked into a hotel in Ocean City, Maryland. After spending a day enjoying rides on the Boardwalk, they were looking forward to relaxing in their room and watching a movie together…a fun start to what was to be a week-long vacation. But within just a few hours, the four of them would be incapacitated in their hotel room, unable to escape the effects of an undetected toxic carbon monoxide (CO) leak.
Looking back, Yvonne says, there were signs something was wrong: one of the girls threw up not long after they got into the room and Yvonne developed a severe headache. But at the time, a long day of amusement rides and restaurant food seemed like logical reasons for feeling ill. Settling down to watch a movie, they all began to feel noticeably drowsy, so much so they weren’t able to stay awake to finish it.
A CO alarm in the hotel room would have alerted them to the fact they were not suffering from the after effects of a long day or bad food, they were being poisoned by the air in their room. CO detection in the hotel would have alerted the staff to the life-threatening situation that was quickly developing (due to a dislodged water heater ventilation pipe) and the need to immediately evacuate the building. But there were no alerts to anyone because there was no CO detection of any kind anywhere in the hotel.
The Boughters turned off the movie, crawled into bed, and fell deeper into the effects of the CO: drifting in and out of consciousness, suffering uncontrollable bouts of vomiting throughout the night and into the next morning.
Yvonne doesn’t have a clear memory of all that happened that night (CO poisoning causes confusion and hallucinations). She does remember being roused into consciousness at the sound of Patrick’s labored breathing and her daughter crying out for help. She managed to reach the phone and call 911 before losing consciousness again. An ambulance was dispatched.
Around the same time, in two rooms down the hall from the Boughters, another family was also unknowingly suffering the effects of CO poisoning, violently ill with nausea and vomiting. They had called for an ambulance suspecting they might be suffering from food poisoning. In total, three ambulances responded to the hotel to render aid to victims in three different rooms, but they mistakenly missed the Boughter’s room. The response focused only on the other victims who were subsequently transported to the hospital where they were misdiagnosed with food poisoning, treated, and released.
Meanwhile back at the hotel, the Boughters continued to lay helpless in their room, unconscious and still inhaling the CO that no one had yet identified. Four hours after her initial call, Yvonne came to and again called 911. Dispatchers quickly sent another ambulance to the hotel. But by the time they arrived, Patrick was dead along with 10-year-old Kelly. Yvonne and Morgan were rushed to the hospital where they were diagnosed with severe CO poisoning. The other victims were contacted and instructed to return to the hospital to be treated for CO poisoning as well.
Our hearts go out to Yvonne and Morgan, survivors of an “accident” that should have never happened; their lives forever changed by unimaginable loss, trauma, and injury that could have easily been prevented.
CO poisoning incidents in hotels are not rare. Since Patrick and Kelly’s deaths in 2006, at least 18 more people have died of CO poisoning in U.S. hotels – 5 of them children. Despite ongoing tragic outcomes such as these, CO detection is still not required in most hotels in the U.S.
Protect your family by carrying a CO alarm when you travel. If you hear it alerting to CO, immediately get outside to fresh air and call 911. Along with saving your family, your actions may save the lives of others as well.
Seven years ago today, 11-year-old Jeffrey and his mom, Jeannie, were poisoned by CO in a hotel room in Boone, NC…the same room where Daryl and Shirley Jenkins had died seven weeks earlier, on 4.16.2013. Jeffrey died. Jeannie survived but with permanent injury to her brain. You can read more about what happened here.
Remember to always carry a CO alarm when traveling, and if it alerts to CO, immediately get outside to fresh air and call 911.
Quality Inn, Rutland, VT – “…and the portion of the building where the rooms were located measured at 300 ppm…the building had 64 rooms, most or all of which were occupied by multiple people…vulnerable population and also apparently some essential workers…” Source of CO listed as a gas powered power washer.
Sharing this sweet photo of of the namesakes of this Foundation, Daryl and Shirley Jenkins, back when they were high school sweethearts in the 1950s. Seven years ago today they both lost their lives to carbon monoxide poisoning in a hotel room while they were on vacation. This year they would have celebrated their 80th birthdays and 60 years of marriage…just a few of many joys we’ve missed sharing with them.
Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is 100% preventable if you have an alarm to alert you to its presence. 30 years ago technology, remarkably, provided that for us. For a relatively small expense, you can safeguard your family by installing CO alarms in your home. We get regular reminders from our fire and life safety agencies to make sure our homes are safeguarded with these lifesaving devices, on every level and near all sleeping areas.
Unfortunately, we seldom hear about the lack of safeguards when we leave home…and the very real fact that there are no universal requirements for hotels and other businesses to take the same measures by installing CO detection systems to protect us when we visit and stay in their buildings. This means that not only are we inadvertently putting ourselves and our families at risk by not being aware (would anyone knowingly choose to sleep unprotected from a toxic gas in any hotel?), we are also not being warned to carry our own alarm when we travel.
Public health protection in this country might not be what you think it is – never has this been more collectively apparent than right now. You can be poisoned by CO in any building. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security just because you’ve installed CO alarms in your home. Don’t take the safety of your indoor air for granted no matter where you are, especially in places where you sleep.
We might not currently have the public health protections we deserve, but we have access to factual information and the ability to share it to prompt change and to help protect each other until those changes are made.
Knowledge can save your life. Sharing it can save someone else’s life.
“Building owners should be especially concerned about brick chimneys…Inspect the chimneys for loose bricks. If the chimney provides ventilation for a fireplace or appliances such as furnaces or water heaters, make sure it still vents…also encourage building owners to ensure they have a working carbon monoxide detector.”
“Today, U.S. Rep. Angie Craig introduced the Safe Stay Act, which would require the installation of carbon monoxide detectors in each hotel and motel room across the country. This legislation comes after learning that two of her second district constituents were hospitalized with serious illnesses due to near-fatal carbon monoxide levels in their Michigan hotel room.”
“Last year, a Lakeville woman and her son were hospitalized after they were nearly killed by carbon monoxide they breathed in at a Michigan hotel. Seven months later, Leslie Lienemann is still recovering from the acute carbon monoxide poisoning she experienced, and she wants to make sure no one else goes through what she has.”
This is Walt and Molly Weber. On this weekend 25 years ago they headed off to a lodge in Mammoth, CA, for a weekend of fun and skiing. They arrived late in the evening and, looking forward to hitting the slopes early the next morning, requested a wake-up call and crawled into bed. Little did they know these would be the last moments their lives would ever be the same.
They were found unresponsive 36 hours later by hotel staff (because they had missed checkout), still in bed. Walt was pronounced dead by emergency responders, and Molly was barely alive. Both had been poisoned by carbon monoxide (CO) leaking undetected from a broken heater in the room. The hotel had no CO detection installed, so there had been no alert for them to evacuate and no alert to the hotel staff there was a life-threatening problem developing their building. Instead, business had carried on as usual as Walt and Molly lay dying, in desperate need of rescue for almost two full days.
Incredibly, Molly survived, but with such severe injury to her brain she was unable to swallow, speak or walk when she woke up from a coma nine days later. It took weeks for her to comprehend that Walt, the love of her life, was dead. Much of the damage to her brain was irreversible, impacting her personality and preventing her ability to ever live independently again.
Walt and Molly’s story is one among many similar “accidents” that continue to happen in U.S. hotels due to lack of proper CO safeguards, including the installation of CO detection systems, emergency procedures and staff training. Deaths and injuries due to CO are 100% preventable. We are working hard to bring public and industry awareness to this issue and the need for immediate change. You can help by sharing this information with your family and friends and encouraging them to carry their own CO alarm when they travel.
“The utility realized it was sending out the wrong mixture of gas to air to appliances such as boilers, clothes dryers, and stoves, with too much natural gas being sent out into the supply line. That type of mix could lead to carbon monoxide leaking into homes and businesses…” Businesses affected included the Marriott Hotel on Railroad Street.
A unique look at what it’s like to be poisoned by carbon monoxide in your hotel room. Thankfully these victims survived, however their experience highlights some of the many unaddressed questions of CO safety in hotels…namely, who is watching out for us when we check in?
Just published in Preventive Medicine Reports…The Jenkins Foundation’s spreadsheet of hotel CO incidents helps add to 30 years (1989-2018) of published, publicly accessible data regarding CO poisoning in U.S. hotels. Thanks to leading CO researchers Dr. Neil Hampson, Dr. Lindell Weaver, and Kayla Deru, victims of these incidents now have a collective voice in the effort to bring attention to the to lack of universal requirements for CO detection in hotel buildings.
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