BISMARCK, ND – The Bismarck Fire Department responded to a Carbon Monoxide (CO) alarm at a multi-family residential building on Wednesday evening.
At approximately 4:33 PM on January 3, 2024, the Bismarck Fire Department received a call for multiple CO alarms going off in a three-story multifamily residential building on the 1100 block of E. Boulevard Ave. Fire crews were dispatched to the scene.
Firefighters arrived at the scene at approximately 4:35 PM and found residents evacuating and the fire alarm sounding. Fire crews found elevated CO levels throughout all three building floors. The building residents continued to evacuate while the fire crews used metering equipment to search for the source of the CO. Fire crews found the highest levels of CO in the furnace room, where a water heater was identified as the cause and was shut down. An extended ventilation operation was performed, and once the CO was mitigated, the building residents were allowed to return to their homes. No residents or firefighters reported illness during this incident.
CO is an odorless, colorless gas that poses serious health risks when inhaled. Symptoms range from headache and nausea at low levels, to loss of consciousness and even death at higher levels. Fire code required the installation of CO detectors in this building during a recent renovation project. These devices provided a critical early warning, prompting resident evacuation, and a quick fire department response. The Bismarck Fire Department encourages all residents to have working CO detectors in their homes.
For more information, contact the Bismarck Fire Department at (701) 355-1400.