BLOOM TOWNSHIP, Ohio — One woman died and multiple people were hospitalized after a carbon monoxide exposure in Bloom Township, police said. Among those transported were three civilians and seven firefighters from Bloom Township.
The 96-year-old homeowner, who made the initial emergency call, was pronounced dead at the scene, WSYX reported.
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Crews were called around 9:30 a.m. for an unconscious person and found multiple people and a pet inside the home showing signs of carbon monoxide poisoning, officials said.
“Once first responders arrived, my crews became ill,” Fire Chief Thomas Williams said. “They thought they had a high exposure to CO. When I got on scene, many of my guys had nausea, were vomiting, and had headaches.”
Williams said the first firefighter entered without a working CO detector and exited within minutes after a second firefighter’s monitor detected dangerous levels, prompting an evacuation.
Investigators measured carbon monoxide levels of 200 parts per million inside the home.
All seven firefighters were released from OSU Wexner Medical Center, and some returned to duty the same day.
The cause of the leak is under investigation.
