Jan. 08--Faulty furnaces caused a dangerous buildup of carbon monoxide in a Salem apartment building Sunday evening, forcing an evacuation and sending seven people to the hospital for evaluation.
Salem firefighters were called to the Chestnut Manor Apartments on Chestnut Street just before 6 p.m. when a carbon monoxide alarm went off, according to a Salem Fire and EMS Department news release. They discovered levels of the colorless, odorless gas exceeding 400 parts per million and evacuated the building immediately.
Some of those evacuated reported some symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning and were taken to LewisGale Medical Center, while others were sent to the hospital as a precaution.
Long-term exposure to levels as low as 35 parts per million can cause headaches and dizziness, the release said. According to the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, sustained concentrations above 150 to 200 parts per million can cause disorientation and unconsciousness and can be fatal.
Salem's building official ordered that the affected part of the building be closed until repairs are made to the building's heating units, the release said. Work was ongoing Monday, but as of late afternoon, the building remained closed.
Built in 1948 and owned by SSM Properties LLC of Roanoke, according to online real estate data, the complex houses 41 apartments in all.
The American Red Cross assisted one displaced family with lodging while the others arranged to stay with family or friends, according to the release.
In July 2006, a 91-year-old Giles County minister died of carbon monoxide poisoning while staying in a dormitory at Roanoke College in Salem. That buildup was caused by a faulty water heater and sent more than 100 people to the hospital, a few with serious ailments. The college later settled out of court a lawsuit filed by the minister's family.
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