Carbon monoxide poisoning kills three
FC Fire Chief recommends detectors for all residences
The carbon monoxide level inside a Colt residence where three people were found dead Wednesday afternoon was so high that emergency personnel could not enter the structure for several hours until it had been ventilated.
The victims have been identified as Lennie Kimble, 80, James Kimble Jr., 55, and Corey Baskins, 43. The Kimbles lived at the 214 Old Military Road address. Baskins’ address was reported as 2283 Hwy. 306 East.
The St. Francis County Sheriff’s Department was notified of the situation about 2 p.m., by a person who said he had been at the residence between midnight and 1 a.m., at which time Kimble Jr. and Baskins were reportedly attempting to install a tankless water heater. Deputies said the man told them he smelled something at that time and told the men. He also said he noticed they were using 110 amp wiring to connect a 220 amp tankless water heater.
The man discovered the bodies when returned to the residence Wednesday.
The Colt Fire Department was one of the first agencies at the scene and had begun trying to ventilate the structure when the Forrest City Fire Department, which was providing mutual aid, arrived.
“We got the call from the county, saying three people were deceased in a house where there was a strong odor and they asked us to respond,” said FCFD Fire Chief Shane Dallas.
“The Colt Fire Department was already on the scene and had started ventilation of the structure. They went in and checked on victims and found them deceased,” said Dallas. “When we got there, we got our guys outfitted with air packs and sent them in to try to figure out where the source was coming from.
“Even after the ventilation was started and they had the doors open, we pegged over 1,000 parts per million on carbon monoxide,” said Dallas, pointing out that the equipment alerts firemen when it detects a reading of 35 ppm.
Information online shows that when carbon monoxide levels increase and remain above 70 ppm, symptoms become more noticeable and can include headache, fatigue and nausea. At sustained concentrations above 150 to 200 ppm, disorientation, unconsciousness and death are possible.
“We went in, trying to figure out the source of carbon monoxide,” said Dallas. “The typical mindset was if you burn gas, then you need a carbon monoxide detector. This structure, however, had no gas running to it, so it was kind of confusing at first where the carbon monoxide was coming from.
“We searched inside and didn’t come up with anything. We searched under the trailer looking for a source and didn’t find anything. We knew it had to be a smoldering fire somewhere and that something had to be burning somewhere to put off the carbon monoxide,” said Dallas. “We sent our guys back in with thermal imaging cameras and started sweeping the walls and doors and everything looking for a hidden fire. Firefighter (Jeff) Simpson had a camera and found a spot about the size of a quarter on the ceiling that didn’t look really different, but it was 200 degrees at that spot. We asked Lt. (Jeremy) Sharp to look at it and it was almost 300 degrees. We started pulling things down and found a fire smoldering in the ceiling.
“It appears the fire was caused by an electrical arc from where they were attempting to put in a water heater. A wire burned all the way back to the breaker box in the ceiling and was just sitting there smoldering. It produced toxic, fatal level of carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide from the insulation that was burning,” said Dallas, adding, “They never knew it. There was no smoke, no evidence of fire. They just didn’t know. It’s just a very sad situation.
“After we extinguished the fire, we got the house ventilated to zero for law enforcement to safely go inside and do their investigation,” said Dallas.
Dallas said Wednesday’s incident has changed his thinking on carbon monoxide detectors, saying his home did not have one.
“Up until yesterday, I have not recommended carbon monoxide detectors for an all-electric house because you know, you don’t have a flame,” said Dallas. “But, that changed my stance on it. I don’t have a carbon monoxide detector in my house – I don’t have gas – but I will be getting one for a fire that smolders and puts off carbon monoxide. It’s the first time I’ve seen something of this nature and it changed my position on it.
“I think everyone needs a carbon monoxide detector whether they’re burning gas or not,” Dallas continued. “If they had had one, it would have helped. It would have gone off.”