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One dead, two hospitalized in Roslindale from carbon monoxide from faulty stove, heating system in building with no working CO detectors

EMTs respond to Hyde Park Avenue

The problem was in the gray building on the left. Photo by Steve Cappy.

The Boston Fire Department reports carbon monoxide coming from both a malfunctioning stove and an improperly vented furnace at 741 Hyde Park Ave. killed a man, sent two women to the hospital and displaced 15 other residents this morning.

The department adds:

All units have either missing or deactivated carbon monoxide detectors. The same is true for the smoke detectors.

The department says residents will only be allowed back in after safety checks - and after their units are equipped with working carbon-monoxide and smoke detectors.

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Comments

Anywhere near the recent big gas leak?

Suldog
http://jimsuldog,blogspot.com

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About a mile further down HP Ave

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Would have absolutely nothing to do with a gas leak. Bad heating equip or poor ventilation.

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No, at least a half-mile away.

There are pic on the TV news sites.

This is about 743 Hyde Park Ave near the Eversource transformer yard. This is officially Roslindale until you pass the former MDC Water pumping station at about 750 Hyde Park Ave. Some people may think this is Hyde Park But the line is nearby. Still in Roslindale.

The New Year's Gas leak and fire was about 340 Hyde Park Ave.

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CO poisoning incidents happen every winter - and sometimes in the summer from other sorts of combustion appliances (such as generators and grills). The scale of these incidents is often sad and horrifying - multiple people at once. This has to be tough on the responders since they are exposed when they enter the home and dealing with multiple casualties. I can't imagine how tough this must be for this family.

Like smoke alarms have saved countless lives, carbon monoxide detectors give people a chance to get out before things get bad. They cost $20 or less and some programs for seniors and low income residents have them even cheaper or free.

If you don't have them, get them. If your family members have gas heat or oil heat or hot water, and don't have them yet, they make great gifts. I know that when smoke detectors first became affordable (but were still novel), I got a good price on a bulk order and had a great time on Christmas break visiting family and installing them.

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Bottom line: Check your CO detectors (and if you don't have one, get one).

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NO active detectors in the entire building!!

In terms of loss of life, this could have been 15 times worse.

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These detectors have only become affordable and required by code in the last few years. New rentals and new sales mean they have to be in there, just like smoke detectors. If they haven't sold the place and the apartments haven't turned over or been inspected, they may have missed the entire push to get people to put them in.

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Law passed in 2005, went into effect in 2006, landlords required to inspect BOTH annually AND at beginning of each rental period.

http://www.mass.gov/eopss/agencies/dfs/osfm/pubed/fs-topics/carbon-monox...

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Trust me, I know the property.

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"These detectors have only become affordable and required by code in the last few years. "

Actually a bit longer than that, but the place came on line as a condo in 2008. So, it should have been up to code.

https://www.cityofboston.gov/assessing/search/?pid=1806766020

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There might have been detectors, but a lot of people (myself included until recently) don’t realize that CO detectors need to be replaced every decade. It just the batteries- the whole unit. Smoke alarms might last longer, but COs just stop working after ten years. Therefore, they probably thought they were safe, but obviously they weren’t.

I know people who live in this complex from sight through running by there a few times a week. This is a sad day.

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Yes, it is.

Condo was done ten years ago. Smokes have a life of about ten years, CO detectors are claimed that but I personally have had to shitcan one or two after way less time. I had one let go after two years. Changed the batt, nfg. Sometimes people just don't bother.

Because it was FHA heat, I suspect a possible failure was in the heating system, something corroded or whatever and was sucking exhaust gas into the air plenum. Or, something odd like outside dryer vents getting sucked into the building somehow.

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Heating appliances with a wall exhaust outlet that isn't high enough to clear snow or is otherwise blocked. Ovens gone bad. Running a grill indoors or in a garage. Heating appliances. etc.

My godson does HVAC and he had a homeowner extremely upset with him because he refused to turn a furnace back on when he discovered that it was cranking exhaust into the basement. Fortunately, his boss backed him up. Kid was very upset (he's 21) at being screamed at and threatened and also depriving a triple decker of heat, but he knew that turning it back on could kill everyone in the building. The chimney was apparently obstructed, and he doesn't fix that.

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Aren't CO detectors mandatory in MA? I recall my last landlord saying this when he installed it in my unit.

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As of 2008, as noted.

You have a good landlord.

I noted that some people don't have them if they have lived in one place for a long time, apparently not the case with the rental units.

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From the Globe:

Residents were able to return to four of the five units on Saturday after the Red Cross installed working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, he said.

The article quotes one resident who said she had been unaware tha her CO detector was non-functioning.

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Scandalous. I think serious criminal charges should apply.

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Filing criminal charges against the next of kin sounds harsh, especially since not all the facts are known (at least to us.)

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.... with the same methods a few years ago. I recovered and went to court. Sorry to hear these people fared far worse. I wonder if these condos are just prettied up rental units a slumlord cashed in on?

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