Winnipeg firefighters say nine people were taken to hospital in unstable condition Tuesday morning after a carbon monoxide incident in East Kildonan.
The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service were called to a home on Sharron Bay just before 9:30 a.m. for a medical incident. Upon entering the house, the first responders’ carbon monoxide detectors show the CO levels at 300 parts per million — more than 30 times higher than what’s usually considered safe.
“At over 200 parts per million, you start to see symptoms of nausea and other medical impacts,” WFPS Deputy Chief Scott Wilkinson told reporters Tuesday afternoon, “and once we get over 400 parts per million you can see significant impacts of potential fatalities within hours.”
Neighbour Roseanne Beardy awoke to four fire trucks and an ambulance parked outside her home.
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“I’m really sad, the people next door, they’re nice people,” she said.
“I had no idea. Got to check on your neighbours.”
Neighbour Shereen Texeira says a family with children is renting the house. She witnessed first responders help one resident out of the house on a stretcher.
“I assumed it was carbon monoxide, just by the way things were going,” she said.
“I did see them all come out and they were all awake, so that was some solace, I guess.”
Texeira has three CO detectors in her home.
“I’ve texted so many people, all my group chats, I’m like, check your batteries!” she said.
After the patients were taken to hospital, firefighters ventilated the home, and Manitoba Hydro continues to investigate the cause of the incident.
A Shared Health spokesperson told Global News all patients have been upgraded to stable condition. Wilkinson said no first responders were injured in the incident and urges all residents to install carbon monoxide detectors and test them regularly.
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