A disconnected pipe spawned a wild Monday morning for 25 adults and children in an Olathe duplex.
Carbon monoxide filled the house, and everyone got outside. But eight occupants, ranging from 2 to 39 years old, were taken to Olathe Medical Center and Overland Park Regional Medical Center for treatment. Four others were treated at their home.
No one appeared to be seriously hurt, officials said.
Firefighters arrived at the home in the 200 block of South Blake Street about 2:30 a.m., after a resident woke up feeling sick and then discovered that others felt the same way.
A test of the air in the home showed 999 parts of carbon monoxide per million parts of air, the maximum that the fire department's equipment can register.
A person who breathes air with 800 parts of carbon monoxide per million for 45 minutes will begin feeling dizzy and nauseated and could have convulsions, said Mike Hall of the Olathe Fire Department.
Investigators from the fire department and Atmos Energy determined that the buildup of poisonous gas came from a disconnected furnace flue pipe in the attic on one side of the duplex. That side is uninhabitable until the landlord fixes the problem.
Olathe prohibits more than five unrelated persons from living in a single-family home without a special-use permit. But that regulation does not appear to affect the occupants of the duplexes that filled with carbon monoxide.
