Prairie, TX- Carbon monoxide poisoning early Monday sent eight Grand Prairie residents — at least two of them children — to Dallas hospitals.
The injured were in stable condition while being taken by ambulances from the home in the 2300 block of March Lane, said Assistant Fire Chief C.J. Grippin.
Names of the injured people were unavailable.
Grippin noted, however, that they probably avoided severe injuries or death.
“I’m sure they will get treated and released,” Grippin said.
A person at the home went to a neighbor’s house at 6:08 a.m. to call 911, Grippin said. The neighborhood is southeast of the intersection of Texas 360 and Interstate 30 on the city’s north side.
The caller told firefighters that there might have been a natural gas leak, but special devices showed a concentration of carbon monoxide around the hot water heater, Grippin said.
The injured people, who complained of flu-like symptoms, were field-tested, Grippin said. The results indicated they suffered carbon monoxide poisoning.
Four were taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital, two to Children’s Medical Center and two to Methodist Medical Center, Grippin said.
He said he did not know why the water heater malfunctioned.
He added that he thought it was located in the garage, and he noted that it was not unusual for an appliance in a garage to leak carbon monoxide into a home.
“There are all sorts of ways it can migrate in,” he said. “It all depends on how long it has been leaking and how tight the house is.
“Any of your gas-fired appliances have the potential to malfunction.”
And there is no warning of a deadly problem because the gas is colorless and odorless.
Carbon monoxide detectors, therefore, are essential in any home that uses gas appliances, Grippin said.