Fire officials say the incident is an accident, but they note smoke detectors were not found in the building.
One person died in a carbon monoxide poisoning overnight in Millvale, Cincinnati fire officials said.
Firefighters responded to a report of two possible carbon monoxide poisoning victims at an apartment in the 1600 block of Sutter Avenue about 9:18 p.m. Friday, fire officials said in a prepared statement.
A 911 caller said one person in the building was unconscious and not breathing.
When firefighters arrived, they entered the building and found one person unconscious on the second floor, according to the statement.
The person was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center and pronounced dead.
The other person in the building was taken to the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
The SPCA responded to the scene to take custody of 14 dogs found alive inside.
Fire officials say the incident is an accident, but they note smoke detectors were not found in the building.
Each year, hundreds of people are killed and thousands are hospitalized nationally by exposure to carbon monoxide, an invisible, odorless gas that can seep into homes from faulty furnaces or poorly ventilated generators, fire experts say. Risks increase during winter.
Since carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, people don’t often know that the gas is inside their home until someone becomes ill, fire officials say.
Often the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning — headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain and disorientation — are hard to distinguish from common ailments like the flu.
People who are sleeping or intoxicated can succumb to carbon monoxide poisoning before they know they’re experiencing symptoms.
It’s important to install a carbon monoxide alarm and know the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, according to fire experts. Like smoke detectors, wall-mounted carbon monoxidedetectors save lives and take only minutes to install.
