DATE OF INCIDENT: 2/21/2009
INCIDENT TYPE: Special Situation
INCIDENT ADDRESS: E. Olympic
CITY: Spokane
STATE: WA
ZIP: 99207
NARRATIVE: This morning February 21, 2009 at 6:35 am the Spokane Fire Department responded to a reported carbon monoxide poisoning and the victim being rescued. The private citizen had an internal combustion gasoline generator running in their basement. One of the byproducts of an internal combustion engines is carbon monoxide. The resident of the home had been overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning when a friend came by and discovered them. The fast thinking and action by the friend of the resident most likely prevented a much more serious outcome. Upon search of the house to determine CO levels we found numerous extension cords and "zip" cords with power strips plugged into power strips. The generator running in the basement initiated the call and can be deadly in itself but the careless use of extension cords to replace permanent wiring can be just as deadly by overloading the wiring in the walls. The Fire Department cannot stress hard enough the dangers of gasoline powered appliances being kept inside a structure while running without proper ventilation and the dangerous of overloading permanent wiring with the excessive use of extension cords and power strips. The outcome of this incident was good but it could have been a lot worse.
PROBABLE CAUSE: Improper use of gasoline powered equipment.
DAMAGE EXTENT: None except to the health of the resident.
DOLLAR LOSS: 0
FIREFIGHTER RESPONSE: 6
MUTUAL AID: None Given
For more information on this release, please call (509)625-7002 and/or check out the SFD Blog at www.spokanefire.blogspot.com
END OF RELEASE
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