AUGUST 10, 2015
ORLANDO, Florida
Thirteen people were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning after a Walmart in Avalon Park was evacuated this morning due to unsafe levels of the gas, according to Orange County Fire Rescue.
The store at S. Avalon Park Boulevard was evacuated just after 3:30 a.m.., according to Fire Rescue spokeswoman Kathleen Kennedy.
CO levels had reached levels of 400 parts per million by 4 a.m., Kennedy said. Levels above 35 ppm are considered excessive.
Teams could not enter the building for several hours because CO readings were too high, Fire Rescue said.
A hazmat team and mass casualty incident (MCI) team was on site, and an air & light truck was on scene for ventilation to reduce CO levels.
The building was finally considered safe by about 7:30 a.m., Kennedy said.
Fire Rescue said that 13 people were treated for carbon monoxide poisoning, with seven taken to local hospitals and others refusing treatment.
Kennedy said that the cause of the CO levels was still unclear, though a construction crew was doing remodeling work inside the store overnight and was working with propane tools.