By Patrick Cloonan and Michael Hasch
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
GLASSPORT, Pa. — Five people -- four of them children -- were hospitalized after being overcome by carbon monoxide on Monday night at a home in Glassport.
“Those people were very lucky,” said Mayor Rosemary Bradley, who arrived on the scene along the 800 block of Vermont Avenue shortly after Glassport police, Citizens Hose Co. firefighters and Clairton EMS paramedics.
Bradley said first responders were on the scene less than two minutes after a 7:48 p.m. 911 call.
Citizens Chief Wayne Lewis Jr. said a woman in her 30s and children ages 5-15 were outside the home when his volunteers arrived.
“An 11-year-old boy appeared to be very serious,” the Glassport fire chief said. “He was conscious but not alert.”
Lewis said all five were taken to UPMC Presbyterian hospital for evaluation and treatment.
“Three crews went inside the house with (carbon monoxide) meters. All showed high levels of carbon monoxide,” Lewis said.
The source of the carbon monoxide was not known. Lewis said a Peoples Natural Gas crew was called to the home to find the problem.
The family reportedly is renting the house.
“We don’t believe it was inspected,” Glassport council president Dave Kowalski said to Trib Total Media news exchange partner WPXI-11. “We’re just happy that everyone is safe.”
The house is listed as “condemned/boarded” and has had three changes of owners in the past year, according to the Allegheny County real estate website.
Federal National Mortgage Association acquired it in June for $1,865 and sold it in November to Realty Choice Investments LLC. In turn, Yehudai Amit purchased the house in January for $49,000.
The house has an assessed value of $14,800, according to the county real estate website.
Patrick Cloonan and Michael Hasch are staff writers for Trib Total Media. Cloonan can be reached at 412-664-9161, ext. 1967, or pcloonan@tribweb.com. Hasch can be reached at 412-320-7820 or mhasch@tribweb.com.