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6 Sickened After Baltimore Carbon Monoxide Incident

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- It is colorless, odorless and potentially deadly. A Baltimore family knows the dangerous of carbon monoxide firsthand. Six people, including a baby, were rushed to the hospital.

Tracey Leong explains what caused this near-tragedy.

Fire investigators say a faulty furnace is the source of the carbon monoxide leak. The entire family remains hospitalized in critical condition.

Five adults and a seven-month-old baby girl were rushed to the hospital, suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.

"Everyone's at a rate of danger at this point with the levels of carbon monoxide that they had," said Captain Roman Clark, Baltimore City Fire Department. "They were very high levels."

The source has been identified as a faulty furnace in the basement. Officials say it's unclear how long they were breathing gas in before calling for help.

Fire investigators say a call for a carbon monoxide leak is not uncommon, especially during the colder months when people typically stay indoors with the heater cranked up.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless and tasteless gas. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, vomiting, chest pain and confusion. Long exposure can eventually lead to death.

"You are actually inhaling it and may not even know it until it overcomes you and you get sick," Clark said.

Investigators say a carbon monoxide detector was found inside the home, but there were no batteries inside, so the family had no way of telling the high dangerous levels they were exposed to.

It is recommended to keep a carbon monoxide detector with batteries in your home.

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