Emergency crews in Clackamas County treated six people who may have suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning in Gladstone Tuesday morning — believed to be the result of a generator that was connected to the home via an open window.
The Gladstone Fire Department, Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, Gladstone Police, Oregon City Police, Clackamas Fire and AMR responded to the call at around 5:45 a.m. There were six adults in the home — two of whom were unconscious and had to be pulled out by firefighters wearing self-contained breathing apparatus.
The other four were either outside when crews arrived or were escorted out by officers and firefighters. First responders performed CPR, and four were ultimately transported to an area hospital. The other two were evaluated on scene by paramedics.
In Gladstone crews working to save 6 adults at a home that appears to have had carbon monoxide poisoning due to a generator in an enclosed area attached to the home. @GladstonePolice @GladstoneFire @clackamasfire @AMRMultCo @OCPolice and @ClackCoSheriff responded. #alert pic.twitter.com/PyImB120Dr
— Clackamas Sheriff (@ClackCoSheriff) February 16, 2021
One of the residents stated they were running a generator inside a shed that was attached to the home. When the resident woke up, he could smell fumes, the sheriff’s office said.
Officials urge caution when using generators or heaters that produce carbon monoxide.
“We’re really concerned about people in rural areas running a generator anywhere that exhaust can enter the house,” Canby Fire Division Chief Matt English told The Canby Current Tuesday. “Please don’t bring any cooking or heating utensil inside unless it’s electric.”
Never run a motor vehicle, generator or any gasoline-powered engine less than 20 feet from an open window, door, or vent where exhaust can vent into an enclosed area, English said.
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THREAD: Over the holiday weekend, the Clackamas County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed four deaths due to carbon-monoxide poisoning.Over the weekend, the Clackamas County Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed four deaths due to carbon-monoxide poisoning…. pic.twitter.com/J6ISxvGOwc
If you must run a generator or other gas-operated implement near your home, you should also have at least one or two battery-operated carbon monoxide units in the house, he added.
“We’ve had some deaths in Gladstone and Oregon City due to carbon monoxide, which would have been totally avoidable if they had known,” said English.
A close call happened in Canby as well, he said, in which firefighters had to don air tanks to rescue an unconscious victim of what was believed to be carbon monoxide poisoning. Fortunately, she survived the episode.
Canby Fire is also concerned about those who are on home oxygen and still without power. Local hospitals are feeling up with patients who have run out of oxygen at home, English said.
If you use an oxygen concentrator, please ensure you have access to a generator or at least 48 hours worth of spare oxygen. If not, contact 911.
At least 150,000 people remain without power Tuesday morning, some of them for the fourth consecutive day, after the worst winter storm in 40 years brought down trees and power lines across the region.
