FORT WORTH, Texas — Six people at a home in Fort Worth remain hospitalized after a carbon monoxide poisoning incident, officials said.
The Fort Worth Fire Department and MedStar responded to the incident Monday evening in the 8500 block of Orleans Lane, near the intersection of Crowley Road and Risinger Road in the southern area of the city.
Six people – five of them children – were transported to hospitals in critical condition.
The fire department said it appeared that a car was left on in the garage, which led to high carbon monoxide levels. A child in the home was the one who called 911 after noticing their mother feeling unwell, according to the fire department.
Officials said that child answered the door for arriving firefighters, then stumbled and fell to the ground. As the crews began treatment on the child, they then found other children passed out on the floor inside the home. The crews rushed in to grab everyone they could and bring them outside for treatment, FWFD officials said.
"We saw so many firefighters outside. They were dragging children outside and to ambulances,” said neighbor Daniel Macias.
According to FWFD officials, five fire personnel were also taken to a hospital with elevated CO levels. All firefighters have been treated and released.
The Fort Worth Fire Department encourages everyone to teach your kids to dial 911 in the case of an emergency but also to know their address so first responders can arrive quickly. Additionally, CO detectors are just as important as smoke detectors, and should be installed on all levels in the home, FWFD said.
“We call it the silent killer, because you cannot see it. You cannot smell it,” explained Dr. Carol Nwelue, medical director of hospital medicine at Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center in Fort Worth.
She said symptoms of carbon monoxide include nausea, headache, chest pain, vomiting, confusion, light-headedness and fatigue. The doctor also shared other potential sources of exposure.
"Summertime is coming. Grilling is another area. Using propane. Stoves that use charcoal. Those are the type of people that may be at more risk,” Nwelue added.