Carbon monoxide sends six to hospitals

Marc Steeves, an emergency medical technician, monitored an infant evacuated from a Strathcona Road apartment building. (Globe Staff Photo / George Rizer)

Residents at a Dorchester apartment building were saved yesterday by the blaring of carbon monoxide detectors after a heating system malfunctioned and released the dangerous gas inside their rooms, forcing a quick evacuation, officials said.

Three adults and three children were taken to two hospitals for evaluation, said Joseph O'Hare, deputy superintendent of Boston Emergency Medical Services. He expects them to be treated and released.

The six patients were alert but showed elevated levels of carbon monoxide, O'Hare said. "There were some patients complaining of dizziness, weakness, and nausea. We found they had elevated levels of carbon monoxide."

Boston firefighters rushed to the Strathcona Road building around 8:30 a.m. yesterday after a resident called 911 because her carbon monoxide alarm was sounding, said Steve MacDonald, Fire Department spokesman.

The carbon monoxide levels were nearly 10 times what is considered safe, so firefighters ordered the 14-unit building evacuated while the building was aired out.

"I was in the shower, and the next thing you know I hear banging on the door," said resident William Maisonet. He said someone shouted "carbon monoxide" on the other side of his apartment door.

Resident, Daniel Erwin, who lives with his fiancée, Farah Neilson, and their two children, Olivia, 4, and Derek, 2, said the situation was "scary."

"It's never happened to me before. You can't smell that stuff," Erwin said.

Property owner Clifford Long said a partially blocked chimney caused carbon monoxide in the exhaust from the heating system to back up into the building. Long, who has owned the Strathcona Road building since 1996, said he hired a company to clean out the chimney after the emergency.

Residents said the heat has been erratic recently. Long said that was a separate issue related to the new operating system installed on the boiler. He is working to fine tune the system, he said.

O'Hare said homeowners should have carbon monoxide detectors.

"Carbon monoxide is colorless. It's odorless less, and until you have symptoms, you wouldn't even know it's there," he said.