Joliet fire chief urges caution with portable generators in power outages

The Joliet fire chief wants residents to exercise caution with using portable generators during a power outage after a household of 12 people were almost killed by carbon monoxide gas.

At Tuesday’s Joliet City Council meeting, Joliet Fire Chief Jeff Carey told the council of an emergency call reported about 1 a.m. the same day in the 100 block of Iowa Avenue.

After Monday’s storms knocked out power in many areas, residents at the Iowa Avenue address were using a portable gas generator in their basement for electricity, according to the Joliet Fire Department.

“Even though it’s in the basement [and] you can’t smell it, the carbon monoxide rises,” Carey said.

Carey said his department received an ambulance call for someone feeling ill. He said when paramedics arrived, they found one person unconscious and 11 people sick and vomiting.

“Had they went to sleep, it could end up being a tragedy where they all would have passed away,” Carey said.

The 12 people – ages 2 to 40 – were taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox and Ascension Saint Joseph – Joliet Hospital.

Carey said gas-fired appliance and tools don’t belong in the house and they must be ventilated.

He said portable gas generators can pose a problem even when they’re next to the house.

“Even putting [generators] next to the house, your air ducts or windows can pull that [carbon monoxide] in,” Carey said. “They need to be away from the house.”

Carey said residents should also make sure the generators are cooled down before they are refilled.

“A couple of years ago during a storm, we had somebody refill one next to a house while it was hot, [the generator] started on fire [and] started the house on fire,” Carey said.

Carey said carbon monoxide is deadly even though it doesn’t produce a smell.

“You think if you don’t smell the exhaust, you’re OK,” Carey said. “But that’s not true.”

The symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.

“Each year, more than 400 Americans die from unintentional [carbon monoxide] poisoning not linked to fires, more than 100,000 visit the emergency room, and more than 14,000 are hospitalized,” according to the CDC.

Portable generators, charcoal grills and furnaces that burn gas or oil will produce carbon monoxide, according to the CDC.

The CDC recommends buying a carbon monoxide detector and placing them in the areas of the home where people sleep.