(Estherville)– The Estherville Fire Department says a call they responded to last week proves the importance of having a working carbon monoxide detector in your home. Firefighters responded to 714 North 7th Street in Estherville a little after 1:30 pm Wednesday after getting a report of a carbon monoxide detector going off. A mother and her infant were evacuated from the home by firefighters. Both were checked over on the scene by paramedics. The infant was taken to a hospital for further evaluation.
Monitoring equipment showed carbon monoxide levels in the home were at 480 parts per million. Officials say levels that high can result in physical symptoms after 45 minutes, with a person becoming unconscious in two hours, with death occurring shortly after that.
Firefighters say the carbon monoxide detector that was in the home was beyond the 7 to 10 year range for recommended replacement.
The cause of the carbon monoxide build up was determined to be a problem with an exhaust system on a boiler.
