A number of units at an East Brainerd Apartment complex were evactuated on Tuesday night after elevated carbon monoxide levels were found.
At 6:44 p.m., Station 21’s crew received a call at the fire station from a concerned citizen who wanted the CO levels checked in their apartment because their CO alarm had been going off.
Firefighters responded to the Meridian at Hamilton Place Apartments on East Brainerd Road and entered the unit to investigate. They found elevated levels of carbon monoxide and started working to find the source. The residents in the apartment were evacuated.
Firefighters checked the gas fireplace, flue, dryer, and other appliances and then went to search for the heating unit, which was not inside the apartment. A neighboring apartment also had elevated CO levels so that resident and his pet were evacuated. Additional firefighters were called to the scene, along with Chattanooga Gas, CPD, HCEMS, McKamey Animal Center and the complex’s management and maintenance.
Crews continued checking remaining apartments in the building while the maintenance manager went to the roof to cut off all gas valves for the heating units to all of the apartments. Multiple units were evacuated. The gas company put locks on all of the meters for apartments that had any level of reported CO. Quint 21 took final readings before turning the scene over to the apartment complex management and gas representative. Work had been done on the gas heat system located on the roof earlier that day.
Fire officials said, "Thanks to the concerned citizen who notified the fire department and potentially stopped a dangerous situation from becoming much worse. Their carbon monoxide alarm was their first sign that something wasn’t right.
"The Chattanooga Fire Department stresses the importance of having functioning smoke alarms and working carbon monoxide detectors in your home after the incident at the Chattanooga apartment complex."
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