Two men are dead following an exposure to carbon monoxide in a Lucerne Valley home Thursday. According to a Sheriff’s press release, about 10 a.m., a woman brought an unidentified man—who was not breathing—to the Lucerne Valley fire station. Paramedics performed life support, but he was pronounced dead at an area hospital. Meanwhile, paramedics were called to the man’s home in the 37400 block of Laramie Street in Lucerne Valley for reports of a 28-year-old man who was unresponsive in the home’s garage. This second man was pronounced dead at the scene. Fire fighters determined that the home and garage had extremely high levels of carbon monoxide, which was most likely from a generator running in the garage. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that is produced when fuels, such as gasoline, propane, methane, wood, and coal are burned. Generators and vehicles produce large quantities of carbon monoxide, which can linger for hours in poorly ventilated rooms and buildings, even after the engines are turned off. Breathing carbon monoxide can be fatal. The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department reminds residents that carbon monoxide detectors should be installed in the home and garage, and that carbon monoxide detectors do not replace the need for smoke alarms.
