Orange Beach, AL – Fire investigators in Orange Beach say a faulty gas heater switch inside a mobile home on Bay La Launch Avenue leaked toxic levels of carbon monoxide inside the residence. Six people, including two young children, were poisoned and rushed to the hospital.
A woman called 911 and told the dispatcher her entire family was sick, disoriented and confused. When firefighters arrived they found high levels of carbon monoxide inside the home and inside the people.
“It’ll kill you and you’ll never know it, it’s tasteless, you can’t smell it,” says Orange Beach Fire Chief Forney Howard. “Every family that has a gas heater should have a carbon monoxide detector.”
Howard says the mobile home did not have a detector. Carbon monoxide detectors are easy to use and inexpensive. Most hardware stores carry them for about 20 or 30 bucks.
Three of the victims have been released from the hospital. Fire investigators removed the faulty gas heater and will replace it with a new one.