Just after midnight, Anne Arundel County firefighters were called to a home in Thomas Road by a report of an unconscious person. When crews arrived on location they found two men, a 79-year-old and his 54-year-old son, inside the residence.

The older man was unconscious and the younger reported a possible malfunctioning furnace to crews on the scene. Firefighters immediately took both men from the home and used a carbon monoxide detector to check for the odorless, colorless and tasteless gas.

An extremely dangerous level, in excess of 1000 parts per million, was found in an enclosed room with an oil burning furnace. Carbon monoxide has spread from the furnace all over the home. There were no carbon monoxide alarms inside the home to alert the residents to the presence of the deadly gas.

Fire Chief John Robert Ray expressed his concern for those affected, saying, "This call serves as a warning to both private citizens and emergency responders... Functioning CO alarms save lives... I encourage every fire chief to use this case as an example of the need for increased awareness during the heating season."

Email To A Friend