Clarksville officials urge caution after 100 carbon monoxide calls on Christmas weekend

Caleb Stultz, Louisville Courier Journal
·3 min read
The Clarksville Fire Department Chief Brandon Skaggs provides an update on the carbon monoxide leak that left four hospitalized over the holiday weekend.
The Clarksville Fire Department Chief Brandon Skaggs provides an update on the carbon monoxide leak that left four hospitalized over the holiday weekend.

The Clarksville Fire Department has fielded more than 100 calls since Christmas Eve concerning high carbon monoxide levels, officials said Tuesday, prompting calls for residents of the Southern Indiana city to stay alert and take preventative measures.

Clarksville Fire Chief Brandon Skaggs said several local families from neighborhoods such as Kenwood, Fairbanks and Green Acres spent Christmas at the homes of friends or other family members or at Clarksville Middle School, where officers set up housing for those whose utilities had to be shut off due to high carbon monoxide levels.

Skaggs said the department has not identified the source of the leaks in South Clarksville, which forced many families to turn off devices like stoves and water heaters during the holiday weekend, and the number of calls had decreased heading into Tuesday's press conference. But carbon monoxide leaks can be deadly, he said – Skaggs called them a "silent killer" – and precautions were a must.

"There have been those horror stories that entire families don't wake up (due to carbon monoxide poisoning)," he said. "And it was a big fear. I'm glad that we were able to provide our response and we did take care of our residents."

For subscribers:Where to find 40 of Kentucky's most impressive trees, and why they matter

Clarksville Fire responded to dozens of calls, Skaggs said, but just a few people needed serious treatment. A total of four Clarksville residents – three from the same home and one from another – were sent to local hospitals to be treated due to high carbon monoxide levels in their homes. Skaggs did not have an update Tuesday on their condition and said a cause for the increase in calls had not been identified.

CenterPoint Energy, the main energy provider in Clarksville, said in a statement that its natural gas system did not have any issues and "continues to operate safely."

"Since calls began coming in on the morning of Christmas Eve, we have been working with the Clarksville and New Albany Fire Departments to respond to the increase in carbon monoxide calls in the area, including having local management from CenterPoint Energy Operations on the ground to support Clarksville and New Albany emergency responders," the energy company said in a release.

In the same statement, CenterPoint Energy said the majority of the calls it responded to were due to "improper appliance venting," leading to the carbon monoxide buildup.

"Carbon monoxide can result from incomplete combustion," the energy company said in a release. "And proper venting is essential to ensure safe use."

A Clarksville Fire Department fire truck used over the weekend responding to calls of carbon monoxide leaks around South Clarksville.
A Clarksville Fire Department fire truck used over the weekend responding to calls of carbon monoxide leaks around South Clarksville.

After the surge of calls on Christmas Eve, Clarksville Fire issued a warning calling on residents to get carbon monoxide detectors in their homes if they weren't already equipped. However, several local hardware stores have run out since Christmas Eve, Skaggs said, including the Clarksville Home Depot, which told The Courier Journal more would be delivered later this week.

Skaggs said it was a "tough call" to shut off utilities that had high carbon monoxide levels over the holiday weekend, including at a local healthcare facility, where Skaggs said 50 patients had to be relocated.

"I know these people, so I'm very passionate about it," he said.

2022 in review:A look back at 10 restaurants that opened this year in Louisville

Despite the shortage at some local stores, after the widespread increase in calls, Skaggs encouraged Clarksville residents to try to buy and install carbon monoxide detectors if they don't already have one. The fire department currently does not have plans to distribute them, he said.

Clarksville Town Manager Kevin Baity said he'd been told by state Reps. Rita Fleming and Ed Clere that the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission would investigate the calls.

Contact Caleb Stultz at cstultz@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Caleb_Stultz.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 100 carbon monoxide calls reported Christmas weekend in Clarksville, IN