CLAREMONT — Twenty people evacuated the Union Block Apartments Friday morning due to elevated carbon monoxide levels, according to the Claremont Fire Department.
Around 10 a.m., the Fire Department responded to a report of smoke in the apartment complex located at 1 Pleasant St. in Claremont. The crew located the source of the smoke inside the building’s mechanical room, according to a news release from the department.
Firefighters shut down the boilers in that space because they were not functioning properly, the release said. They then requested that the issue be resolved by building maintenance.
While assessing the building for additional safety concerns, the crew detected high levels of carbon monoxide, which can cause illness or death by replacing oxygen in red blood cells, according to the Mayo Clinic.
As a result, firefighters instructed those inside the building to evacuate immediately. All 20 occupants safely left from the building, the release said. The Community Center van was available to those who required transportation to a safe, warm location.
Carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, and early symptoms of exposure include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, confusion and vision problems, according to the National Library of Medicine. Detectors/alarms are required in multi-unit dwellings and rental units under New Hampshire State Law RSA 153:10.
Claremont Police, Golden Cross Ambulance and members of the Claremont Parks and Recreation Department were all on scene to assist the fire department.
Emergency responders ventilated the entire structure following the evacuation. After about two hours of monitoring, carbon monoxide levels fell down to zero, allowing residents to return, the release said.