LATEST: Lincoln mother says she’s ‘blessed’ her children are alive after carbon monoxide scare

Lincoln Fire and Rescue officials said carbon monoxide readings taken inside a Lincoln home registered at more than 14 times the amount at which a detector would typically go off.

Officials said a family of five people, two adults and three children, were transported from the home near 20th and Bellville Drive Wednesday afternoon for carbon monoxide exposure. 

LFR spokeswoman Nancy Crist said CO detectors carried by emergency personnel went off immediately upon entering the home. 

CO readings inside the door of the home were 250 parts per million, Crist said. 

The level at which a detector would typically go off is around 35 parts per million. 

The highest reading in the home was 499 parts per million, Crist said. 

Crist said the build-up was due to a charcoal grill that was being used inside the home for heat, after their electricity was shut off. 

Electricity was scheduled to be turned back on in the home, but wasn’t by the time of the call Wednesday afternoon Crist said. 

Officials said the adults were 30 and 34-years-old, along with a 1-year-old, 10-year-old, and 12-year-old. 

All five people are expected to recover, though experts said it could have been much worse. 

“It replaces the oxygen of your red blood cells, makes you have flu like symptoms,” said Lincoln Police Captain Mark Heithoff. “When it’s real extreme… vomiting, you get tired, you fall asleep and you don’t wake up.”

Channel 8 Eyewitness News spoke to the mother of the children living inside the home. 

She said she’s happy that her children are alive. 

“I thought I had lost them.”  she said in an emotional interview. “I see them playing today they were laughing and just messing around the house I feel blessed.”

Fire inspectors said there was a gas heater in the home, but it was shut off and the family had not been using it. 

An LES spokeswoman told Channel 8 Eyewitness News that the company does not comment on individual customers situations.

She said LES has guidelines and procedures for when electrical service is shut off during periods of extreme cold or heat, as well as resources for those struggling to pay their bills. 

You can find more information at https://www.les.com/.