By Sara Patterson
The Commercial Appeal
GERMANTOWN, Tenn. — Firefighters in hazmat trucks evacuated a Germantown shopping center on Poplar Avenue near Exeter on Wednesday afternoon after a carbon monoxide leak elevated gas levels 10 times above the normal range.
Three people were transported to area hospitals for evaluation after the leak was detected in the Germantown Collection shopping center, and several affected businesses were evacuated after customers at a Fantastic Sam’s complained of a strange smell Wednesday morning, according to the Germantown Fire Department.
The Fire Department was called about 10:30 a.m. when a few customers began to show the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, according to firefighters on the scene. Asst. Fire Chief Jeff Beaman said the colorless, odorless gas usually gives people headaches, nausea and fatigue. Carbon monoxide is known as a silent killer and is one of the leading causes of accidental deaths in the U.S.
It’s a relief we caught the leak when we did and not a few days from now, Beaman said.
Carbon monoxide readers detected gas levels 10 times higher than usual, said Fire Marshal Jody Dwyer, and the readings didn’t return to normal levels for about four hours.
A water heater behind a Chili’s restaurant was discovered to be the culprit, according to Beaman, and the Chili’s was closed while the Fire Department and Memphis, Light, Gas and Water Division crews worked to clear the area. Though levels had returned to normal by dinner time, the Chili’s couldn’t operate without a hot water heater to wash dishes. A plumber was called to repair the heater.
Other shops in the center reopened Wednesday.
Copyright 2012 The Commercial Appeal, Inc.