Since Hurricane Ida knocked out power for much of south Louisiana, hundreds of thousands of people have turned to generators to keep homes and businesses running.
As energy crews slowly work to restore power, however, first responders have seen a surge in 911 calls about generator-related emergencies, including burns and fires. Because the machines emit carbon monoxide, officials say there’s also been a spike in poisonings from the colorless, odorless gas — some fatal.
The State Fire Marshal said four people in Louisiana this week died from carbon monoxide. In that same timeframe, the agency said it fielded reports of about a dozen generator burns and several house fires from people refueling still-running machines. “All of this is preventable and we have to do better,” State Fire Marshal Chief H. “Butch” Browning said in an advisory Friday.