Residents at an Oak Lawn apartment complex were ordered to evacuate due to elevated levels of carbon monoxide Thursday evening.
According to Dallas Fire-Rescue, the calls started around 7 p.m. at the Radius at Turtle Creek Apartments on the corner of Cedar Springs Road and Welborn Street in Dallas. Firefighters detected extremely high levels of carbon monoxide mostly in the garage and basement area of the apartment complex. But elevated fumes were also detected up to the fifth floor.
"They came and started taking readings off immediately and they started getting extremely high readings as soon as they walked in the door," said Dallas Fire-Rescue Battalion Chief Greg Stoy.
Stoy said normal levels are no more than 35 parts of carbon monoxide per million. He said firefighters picked up readings of 300 parts per million in the basement.
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Approximately 200 residents had to temporarily evacuate. NBC 5 spoke to some residents who said they were taken by surprise and had to move quickly.
"While I was on my balcony I hear very loud banging on my front door. The fire department was telling us to evacuate, to take our pets to not go to the garage and to just get out as soon as possible," said resident Kristen Bennett.
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DFR said they believe it was caused by workers using a gas-powered pressure washer in the underground parking garage without proper ventilation. The buildup of gas became too much for the workers and leaked into the 5-story apartment building above.
The three workers were transported to the hospital with minor injuries, firefighters said. No work on their conditions.
DFW used positive pressure ventilation and multiple fans to push the deadly gas out of the building and checked the CO2 levels before residents were allowed to return to their apartments late Thursday night.
