More than 60 cases of carbon monoxide poisoning leading to emergency room visits have been reported in the past few hours to Montreal Public Health, which is calling on people experiencing power outages to exercise caution.
Since Wednesday, hundreds of thousands of Montrealers have been plunged into darkness. In this context, many citizens have decided to use auxiliary heating devices, notably powered by natural gas, inside their homes. Others, for their part, have used cooking appliances intended for outdoor use in their homes, such as charcoal-fired barbecues.
However, “this poses a major risk of carbon monoxide poisoning”, indicates in a press release the CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, which has noted more than sixty cases of poisoning in the last hours, “an exceptional situation”. “The situation is particularly worrying in the neighborhoods of LaSalle, Montreal North, Saint-Laurent, Ahuntsic and Pierrefonds,” the statement added.
⚠️ NEVER use fuel-burning appliances (propane appliance, gasoline engine, barbecue, lamp, stove, patio heater, generator, etc.) indoors. If you use a generator, place it outside in a ventilated area and away from doors and windows. ⚠️
— MTL Fire Safety (@MTL_SIM) April 7, 2023
The emergency room is overflowing
The numerous cases of poisoning reported in the metropolis have had the effect of increasing the pressure on the emergency rooms of several hospitals, which show occupancy rates in some cases exceeding 200%. A man is also dead following using his barbecue in his residence, in Saint-Eustache, announced Friday the Prime Minister of Quebec, François Legault, during a press briefing held in Montérégie.
In interview with The Dutythe head of the emergency measures office of Montreal Public Health, Simon Bilodeau, recalled that carbon monoxide poisoning might lead, in extreme cases, to loss of consciousness or even death.
However, such poisonings “are avoidable” if we refrain from using “combustion devices intended for indoor outdoor use”, underlines the Public Health of Montreal. The latter therefore recommends that people who experience a power outage go to the emergency shelters and heat drop-in centers opened by the City if they need to warm up.
