Rome Walmart Evacuated Due To Carbon Monoxide

Walmart on Taberg Road in Rome was evacuated at 7:30 this morning (6-17-19) due to Carbon monoxide, or “CO,” an odorless, colorless gas that can kill you.

Deputy Fire Chief Timothy W. Reilly said contractors were doing floor treatments inside Walmart with propane-powered machinery when fumes set off the carbon monoxide detectors before 7:30 am this morning. Rome firefighters and National Grid were called in to evacuate the store and introduce fresh air into the building. Rome Daily Sentinel reports that due to the size of the box store, they also used the rooftop ventilation units.

The CDC says the most common symptoms of CO poisoning are headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. CO symptoms are often described as “flu-like.” If you breathe in a lot of CO, it can make you pass out or kill you. People who are sleeping or drunk can die from CO poisoning before they have symptoms.

No one was injured or harmed during the ordeal, and Walmart on Taberg Road in Rome was re-opened at noon today.

[Rome Daily Sentinel]

an overnight floor treatment set off the carbon monoxide detectors