Family Of 6 Hospitalized After Gas Leak Inside Nashville Home

A family of six in Nashville were hospitalized Saturday (January 8) morning after a gas leak inside their Nashville home.

The family, including five children, were exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide in their Edgehill apartment on 14th Avenue South, News Channel 5 reports. Several officials from the Nashville Fire Department and Piedmont Gas, as well as the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, responded to reports of the leak, which they determined was caused by a malfunctioning indoor heating unit.

As of Tuesday (January 11), the family has been released from the hospital. Both the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors at the residence have been replaced.

According to experts, exposure to carbon monoxide can occur if home heating tools like space heaters or generators are not properly ventilated. Carbon monoxide exposure can be deadly, so it's important to understand some of the symptoms. The risk is even greater due to the gas being both odorless and without color.

"If you get into upper levels of it, you would have nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache," said Kenneth Caruthers, district chief of Special Operations for the Nashville Fire Department. "Just take it seriously. It's colorless and odorless, you won't know it's in the atmosphere until it's too late. That's why early detection is necessary."

To help prevent carbon monoxide exposure, Caruthers said each home should have at least one carbon monoxide detector that gets tested frequently. He also reiterates that gas appliances should be vented properly, that a gas range should never be used to heat a home, and that a generator should not be used inside a building.