NY- The Record Online- A dirty furnace was blamed for a carbon monoxide poisoning incident that evacuated 10 people from a building at 2:30 a.m. Saturday at 60 Main St.
Building Inspector Trey Daniels said a restaurant, the 60 Main Gallery and upstairs apartments were emptied when residents complained of symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. The furnace was shut down, and several people were tested for poisoning.
The furnace was dirty and caused a backdraft into the building, Daniels said. The furnace was serviced on Sunday, and residents were allowed to return to their apartments.
This is a common problem for all homeowners this time of year, Daniels said. Furnaces haven’t been used all summer should be serviced before that first tank of fuel is delivered. Not doing that can kill you.
Daniels encouraged tenants to contact the building department if their landlords don’t respond to complaints about building conditions. We can put a little more pressure to make sure things are right, Daniels said.