Carbon monoxide detectors likely saved lives in Humboldt incident. File photo/paNOW staff
Humboldt carbon monoxide leak

CO detectors save lives in Humboldt

Jan 14, 2023 | 8:00 AM

Officials and residents are praising carbon monoxide detectors for preventing what could have been a tragedy at an apartment complex in Humboldt.

On Jan. 10, around 5 p.m., the CO detectors started going off at Eastside Village in Humboldt.

Heather Proulx, who lives in the building, said the beeping was what caught her attention.

“I heard the beeping from the carbon monoxide (detectors). I could hear this and I opened the door to see what was going on,” she said.

Proulx noted emergency crews were at the scene, going from apartment to apartment to alert people.

“The firemen came, and the ambulance came, and we were treated super,” she said.

The leak of carbon monoxide led to the evacuation of 25 people from the complex.

About a dozen were taken to the Humboldt District Hospital to be assessed, but luckily no one was seriously affected, according to Fire Chief Mike Kwasnica.

“I think 12 In total, that went to the hospital for some oxygen therapy, but that wasn’t severe CO exposure,” he explained. “Everybody was actually out of the hospital and released that night, and able to return back to their homes in the morning.”

Kwasnica said the problem was mostly caused by several vents to the boiler room that was plugged with frost.

“It actually started causing the boilers to backdraft and as the boiler was spilling over and back drafting into the room, the air handling system was picking it up and distributing it throughout the rest of the building.”

“This was a significant event,” he said.

Judy Plag, who runs the Bella Vista Hotel in Humboldt, got involved when the fire department called to see if the hotel could feed the people being evacuated. At that point, evacuees were being taken to the Uniplex in Humboldt.

She said hotel staff got right to work preparing a meal of burgers, salads, and dessert, along with bottled water and packing it all up to be transported.

“I have wonderful staff,” she said.

And once it became clear most of the evacuees needed a place to stay for the night, Plag and her staff opened up 17 rooms at the Bella Vista for the people who needed them.

She said everyone seemed in good spirits.

“Of course, there were some scares, and there were some talking about, what if and those kinds of things… but for the majority, everybody was in great spirits. And it has a lot to do with how the fire department, how the ambulance handled the whole situation with everybody, they were really good and kept everybody informed,” she said.

The City of Humboldt has praised Plag and others who helped out with the evacuation that night, but Plag said she was just doing what needed to be done.

“I guess I treat people the same way I would want to be treated.”

While it ended well, it’s a sobering reminder. Kwasnica pointed to a CO leak at St Mary’s Villa in Humboldt in 2010 that contributed to the deaths of three seniors. At the time, the facility did not have CO detectors.

“(Detectors) are an absolutely essential part of living in Saskatchewan. Without the detectors, you do not know there’s carbon monoxide in the air.”

doug.lett@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @DougLettSK

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