By Charly Haley
Grand Forks Herald
Update:
BLANCHARD, N.D. — Four people died in Blanchard, N.D., and another is in intensive medical care after a possible carbon monoxide leak, a family member told the Herald on Monday night.
According to WDAY, the four who died are 53 year old Ross Matejcek, of Blanchard, who owned the home; 27 year old Ricky Fisher, of Blanchard, ND; 24 year old Margaret Fisher, of Portland, ND; 6 year old Jabin Newmes, of Portland, ND.
Four others are in a Fargo hospital:
They are 45 year old Bonnie Fisher, of Blanchard, ND; and three children, ages 4, 2, and 8 months.
More information will be posted as it becomes available.
Original post:
BLANCHARD, N.D. — Four people died in Blanchard, N.D., and another is in intensive medical care after a possible carbon monoxide leak, a family member told the Herald on Monday night.
Billy Knutson, of Harwood, N.D., said his sister, Bonnie Fisher, was in intensive care at a Fargo hospital Monday night after the deaths of her boyfriend, son, daughter and grandson.
All five lived in Fisher’s boyfriend’s house in Blanchard, Knutson said.
Sanford Medical Center spokeswoman Margot Peterson said Fisher, 45, was in stable condition Monday night. Sanford did not have additional information on other possible hospital admissions for the incident.
Knutson received a phone call from the Traill County Sheriff’s Department at 3 a.m. Monday, he said. He wasn’t sure when exactly his family members had died.
When reached by phone Monday night, a Traill County sheriff’s deputy would not provide any information, other than confirming the department responded to a call in Blanchard recently.
The deputy said a news release would be available Tuesday.
Members of the Hillsboro Fire Department and the West Traill County Ambulance Service also confirmed they responded to a call, but they deferred all questions to the sheriff’s department.
Knutson said he believed the possible carbon monoxide leak had something to do with the family’s water heater.
Knutson could not provide any further details on his family or the incident.
Blanchard is an unincorporated town in Traill County with a population of 26, according to the 2010 U.S. census. It is about 50 miles southwest of Grand Forks by road.
———
©2015 the Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks, N.D.)