Before dawn in Kensington on Monday, a quiet apartment building turned into a carbon monoxide hot zone, sending more than a dozen emergency vehicles to Avenue C and landing 11 residents in local hospitals.
FDNY and EMS crews got the call around 4 a.m. and arrived to find dangerously high carbon monoxide readings inside a four-story walk-up at 701 Avenue C. First responders evacuated the building and rushed 11 people to nearby hospitals for evaluation after what officials described as elevated carbon monoxide levels. Their exact conditions were not immediately available.
According to News 12 New York, firefighters simultaneously worked to ventilate the building while EMS teams assisted residents who had begun to feel sick and, in some cases, pass out. Crews remained on scene as they cleared the air and checked the structure.
Building History and Maintenance Questions
Public records show 701 Avenue C is a 46-unit, four-story apartment building that changed hands in 2022, when it was sold to an investor, according to property filings and real estate databases. PincusCo lists the sale and current ownership of the address.
Third-party building data tied to the property points to a run of housing complaints and prior boiler issues. One building-data report notes a boiler failure in 2025, and housing advocates say that repeated heating or ventilation problems can create the kind of conditions where carbon monoxide may build up indoors instead of venting properly.
Carbon Monoxide Risks and City Guidance
The FDNY describes carbon monoxide as an odorless, colorless gas that can trigger headaches, dizziness and nausea, and at higher concentrations can cause people to lose consciousness.
The department urges New Yorkers to keep working carbon monoxide detectors in their homes and to take any alarm seriously. If a detector sounds or people suddenly feel ill, the advice is to get out immediately and call 911. Firefighters typically ventilate affected spaces and take readings throughout the building before anyone is allowed back inside.
What Residents Should Do Next
NYC Emergency Management advises that anyone who suspects carbon monoxide exposure should leave the area right away and contact 911 rather than re-entering the space to investigate.
The agency also reminds residents who are without heat or hot water to call 311 and alert building management so fuel-burning equipment can be inspected and repaired. Tenants who believe carbon monoxide detectors are missing or not working can file complaints with city agencies to trigger inspections.
Following Monday morning's incident, the building at 701 Avenue C was ventilated and tenants were temporarily displaced while emergency crews worked the scene. Public property records indicate the address has drawn multiple housing complaints in recent years. Hoodline will update this story if city officials or the building's owner release additional information about what caused the leak or the status of those taken to the hospital.
