Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, CA)
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POMONA, Calif. — Lethal levels of carbon monoxide sickened a pregnant woman and her two daughters late Tuesday when the family turned on their heater.
Los Angeles County firefighters came to the home in the 1100 block of West Phillips Boulevard at 9 p.m. and took the 29-year-old woman and her young daughters to Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center.
The carbon monoxide reading was well over lethal levels, said fire dispatch supervisor Ed Pickett.
Pickett said the woman s husband turned on the heater and left to go to the store. Coincidentally, he was going to buy carbon monoxide detectors.
But when the heater came on, the mother and her 4-year-old and 6-year-old daughters became ill. Firefighters said they were conscious and breathing when paramedics took them to the hospital.
Firefighters used blowers to ventilate the home and Southern California Edison officials came to the residence to examine the heater.
If not for the mother s quick response, firefighters say the outcome may not have been as positive.
She acted swiftly, which probably saved her family, Pickett said.