Texas Firefighters Rescue Two from Gas Poisoning

Nov. 18--Firefighters carried a pregnant woman and her aunt from a house Monday after carbon monoxide from a faulty heater made them ill.

Homeowner Connie Guevara came home from work and found her daughter, Onillia Cano, 20, and sister, Mary Orta, 51, incoherent.

Cano, who is four months pregnant, was throwing up, Guevara said, and Orta was unable to clearly say what happened.

"They were just out of it," Guevara said.

Her husband, John Guevara, planned to check the home's gas-powered heater before turning it on this season, he said. He had not done so yet.

Carbon monoxide can be deadly. Homeowners can prevent carbon monoxide poisoning by taking the following steps, Fire Chief Vance Riley said:

Have a professional check all gas-powered appliances annually.

Install a carbon monoxide detector if you have such appliances

Cano switched on the heater because she was cold and didn't realize doing so would be dangerous, her mother said.

"They'd been here all day long in the house," Connie Guevara said.

Firefighters rescued Cano and Orta from the house shortly after 3 p.m. Both women were taken to Citizens Medical Center.

Staff there told Connie Guevara her daughter and sister were responding to treatment within minutes of arriving.

Firefighters detected readings of 144 parts per million of carbon monoxide inside the home, Riley said. Thirty parts per million is a dangerous reading.

As they pumped fresh air into the house, firefighters also looked for Chewbacca the dachshund, who remained inside.

Four firefighters cornered him before scooping him up, John Guevara said.

"He's very protective of his house," Guevara said. "That's what he gets paid to do."

Charlie, the family's other dog, was also safely rescued from the home.

The family was able to return home after the fire department aired out the house.

GET A DETECTOR

If you're not sure how or where to install a carbon monoxide detector, call the Victoria Fire Department at 361-485-3450.

SIGNS OF CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING

The following are common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning:

Extreme lethargy

Severe headache

Inability to think clearly

Red, blotchy skin

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