Rochester apartments evacuated for carbon monoxide

(ABC 6 News) – Rochester Fire Department was called to an apartment building for carbon monoxide alarms that were going off Saturday afternoon.

According to RFD, it happened at 3:44 p.m. at 722 Center Street West.

Initial fire crews began to monitor the atmosphere inside and quickly discovered wide spread carbon monoxide. The call was upgraded and more units were requested.

RFD cleared the building of 115 residents from 83 units and systematically began to clear out the CO apartments. This involved utilizing the buildings HVAC system and supplementing ventilation with electric fans.

City buses were utilized to move residents to another building while waiting for safe conditions.

No injuries occurred on scene, and there is currently no estimate on any damages.

Minnesota Energy, MCAS and Rochester Public Transit all assisted at the scene.

RFD reminds everyone to always treat carbon monoxide alarms as an emergency. CO is a colorless and tasteless gas that can cause severe illness and death.

Make sure you have a working CO detector in your home and within 10 feet of any bedroom.