
Five people, including a child, had to be transported to the hospital Saturday after high levels of carbon monoxide were detected in a home, D.C. Fire and EMS said.
The fire department’s public information officer, Vito Maggiolo, said first responders were called to the 1000 block of 17th Street NE around 10:15 a.m. for an illness.
When firefighters arrived, the carbon monoxide detectors on their uniforms went off, Maggiolo said.
Two adults were taken to the hospital in serious condition. Two more adults and a child were transported for observation, Maggiolo said. The rest of the home was evacuated.
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The department said the cause of the high levels of carbon monoxide is believed to be a malfunctioning furnace, and there were no working alarms to detect the gas in the house.
In a tweet, D.C. fire reminded the public that “CO is a SILENT KILLER, colorless and odorless. Your only warning will be that CO alarm. Know the causes, know the symptoms, and get that working CO Alarm if you don’t already have 1.”