ME Fire Marshal Investigating Incident At Kittery Daycare That Sent 7 To Hospital

The Maine State Fire Marshal is looking into an incident of Carbon Monoxide poisoning at a Kittery daycare center that sent 7 people to the hospital Wednesday.

Maine Department of Safety spokesperson, Shannon Moss, says first responders were called to the Building Blocks Learning Center at 1 Route 236 in Kittery after members of the staff noticed a smell and evacuated the center when people started getting sick because of it.

Moss says the Fire Marshal, along with members of the Kittery Fire Department, Code Enforcement Office, and the Maine Fuel Board worked together at the scene to find out what caused the issue.

"The FMO confirmed that the source of the carbon monoxide was a propane-powered concrete saw that was being operated in an adjacent suite and was not affiliated with the child care. That suite was under construction and the concrete saw had been operated throughout the day. Propane-powered gas saws are not intended to be operated indoors and are often labeled to prevent use in unventilated space."

They believe the deadly emissions coming from the saw got into the facility through their HVAC system.

Authorities were looking into whether or not combination smoke and Carbon Monoxide detectors were being used at the facility. While there are still some questions that need answers, Moss says that State Fire Marshal Shawn Esler wants to commend the staff at the child care center for their vigilance and quick action, as it was critical in saving lives.

“It is important to note that daycare providers of the Building Blocks Learning Center recognized a problem and took action,” Esler said. “They evacuated children and staff to safety and notified the fire department as soon as they recognized something was wrong. Their quick response, the professionalism of the Kittery Fire Department, and the medical expertise of the Portsmouth Regional Hospital helped prevent a tragedy.”

The people taken to the hospital were treated for non-life-threatening injuries and released.