GEAUGA COUNTY, Ohio — Officials say five people were taken to area hospitals following a carbon monoxide leak at a Geauga County assisted living center Friday evening.
Troy Township Fire Chief Nicholas Bushek told reporters his crews were called to the Inn at the Pines Assisted Living and Memory Care center on Claridon Troy Road just before 8 p.m. after carbon monoxide detectors began going off. Upon arrival, several residents began complaining of symptoms, and the entire building was then evacuated.
According to Bushek, the source of the carbon monoxide came from power generators that were ventilated towards the interior of the facility. 3News has learned the Inn at the Pines has been without its normal electricity sources since Tuesday's severe storms that knocked out power for most of the county.
Once crews figured out the source of the leak, the generators as well as the center's natural gas supply were turned off. Those taken by ambulance to hospitals were all residents, with Bushek saying "most of them were non-critical."
After fire officials surveyed the area, the remaining residents were allowed back inside, with the Geauga County Department of Emergency Services currently providing electricity through temporary generators. Bushek took time at his press conference to remind people with generators to make sure they are properly ventilated, and to also look out for possible symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning such as headaches, rosy cheeks, nausea, and vomiting.
