A 10-year-old girl has died, and a 12-year-old girl is in serious condition after being found in an Albany Park home with dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide. The incident happened Monday morning, and both girls were rushed to Swedish Covenant Hospital. The 10-year-old, Jayrinne Sequeida, was declared dead at the hospital. The 12-year-old is still being treated.
Paramedics were called to the house on West Gunnison Street at around 5:20 a.m. after reports of victims who were “unconscious and not breathing.” When firefighters arrived, they found carbon monoxide levels in the home at 300 parts per million (ppm), which is considered very high. According to Larry Langford from the Chicago Fire Department, the risk of death from carbon monoxide poisoning depends on both the strength of the gas and how long a person is exposed. At 1,000 ppm, exposure could be fatal in less than 30 minutes, but at 300 ppm, it would take at least a couple of hours to cause harm.
Carbon monoxide can build up in a home, especially when windows and doors are closed and the furnace runs continuously during a cold snap. Langford also mentioned that homes are required by law to have carbon monoxide detectors, just like smoke detectors. These detectors can sound an alarm when carbon monoxide levels reach as low as 10 ppm, giving people a chance to address the issue before it becomes dangerous. It is not yet known whether the home in question had a carbon monoxide detector.
The building where the incident occurred had a “do not enter” notice posted on the front door from the Chicago Department of Buildings. The building’s owners have not commented on the situation.
Peoples Gas, the local utility company, was called to the scene as part of their standard protocol. A spokesperson from the company, David Schwartz, stated that there was no reason to believe the carbon monoxide was caused by any of their equipment.
This incident occurred during a cold snap in Chicago, when temperatures are in the single digits and teens. January is typically the coldest month in the city, and it also sees an increase in fires and carbon monoxide-related emergencies.
