Homeowners urged to take precautions against the 'silent killer' of carbon monoxide

Fire marshals and experts said the carbon monoxide poisoning of 10 people in a Brentwood multifamily home Thursday serves as a reminder to homeowners of the need to prevent and detect the toxic fumes known as the "silent killer."

Islip Town fire marshals ruled the cause of the carbon monoxide leak stemmed from a faulty fuel heater which burned oil, police and firefighters said.

"Carbon monoxide can be caused by a multitude of things including oil and any combustible fuel," said Wendy Frigeria, a spokeswoman for National Grid, which did not service the Brentwood home. "People have to be very careful because they call it the silent killer. It’s a poisonous and odorless gas."

Experts said residents should mount carbon monoxide detectors on walls, about four feet off the ground, on every floor of a home.

The leak reported Thursday morning on American Boulevard in Brentwood left an 87-year-old father and his son, 52, in serious condition. Authorities did not have an update on their conditions and the residents could not be reached Friday.

Eight other people, ranging in age from 10 to 42, were hospitalized for minor injuries after they reported feeling ill from carbon monoxide poisoning. Police and firefighters did not say if there were any carbon monoxide detectors in the building. A resident at the home Thursday did not know if they were installed.

The building was deemed unfit for occupancy until a licensed contractor repairs or replaces the heater, Islip town officials said Friday.

New York State law mandates detectors in any residential or commercial building with a heater that could potentially emit carbon monoxide. State lawmakers passed the requirement following the 2014 death of a Legal Sea Foods manager at the Walt Whitman Shops in Huntington Station.

Signs of carbon monoxide can include stale or stuffy air and possible indoor condensation on windows, Frigeria said. Symptoms can include flu-like fatigue, headaches, dizziness, nausea, fluttering of the heart, tightness in the chest and loss of muscle control, according to National Grid.

Nassau County firefighters receive carbon monoxide calls daily, said James Hickman, assistant chief fire marshal.

He said residents should not delay reporting a possible leak to firefighters. Residents should leave the home as soon as possible without opening doors and windows to allow firefighters to detect the source of the leak, Hickman said.

"Anything that burns a fossil fuel is capable of making carbon monoxide," Hickman said. "If you’re not feeling well, the effective response is to leave the house and let firefighters try to identify the problem."

Officials said building owners should have their boilers, fuel burning furnaces and chimneys inspected annually for any potential leaks or blockages. Chimneys and flues from wood burning stoves and oil burners can be blocked with debris, including birds nests, that can cause carbon monoxide to flow back into a home.

Ed Schoen, owner of Prestige Heating in Massapequa, said he wears a personal carbon monoxide detector when entering homes to service boilers and heating systems. He said he has gone to several homes to conduct testing where residents were sickened.

"This is such a preventable problem and the public is not aware of it," Schoen said.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.