What started as an odd smell at a Fort Atkinson packaging plant turned into a full-scale evacuation Monday afternoon, as firefighters cleared about 150 employees from the building after detecting elevated carbon monoxide levels inside.
Crews responded to reports of a strange odor and began sweeping the facility with air monitors, quickly finding unsafe readings. Thirteen workers were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening symptoms, while 14 others were checked out on site and released. Firefighters ventilated the plant, shut off utility service as a precaution, and kept operations going for roughly three hours while they ran safety checks and waited for air quality to return to normal.
According to the Fort Atkinson press release, crews were dispatched at 12:49 p.m. after a call reporting an odor at Creative Packaging in the 600 block of Rockwell Avenue. When firefighters arrived, they began monitoring air quality inside the large manufacturing facility and confirmed elevated carbon monoxide levels. Incident Command activated a MABAS Life Safety Alarm, which brought in additional ambulances and resources.
A total of 13 employees were transported to Fort Memorial Hospital and Mercy Hospital in Janesville, while 14 more were evaluated and released at the scene. Gas and electrical service to the building were shut off as a precaution, and crews continued ventilating and monitoring the plant until readings were back in the safe zone.
“This incident highlights how quickly carbon monoxide can affect a large number of people in an industrial setting,” Fort Atkinson Fire Chief Bruce Peterson said in the release. He noted that employees reported the problem quickly, which helped firefighters identify the hazard and evacuate everyone before anyone was critically hurt.
Peterson reminded residents that headaches, dizziness, nausea, weakness and confusion can all be signs of carbon monoxide exposure. If multiple people in the same place suddenly show those symptoms, he said, they should move to fresh air immediately and call 911.
Health Risks and Warning Signs
Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas produced by incomplete combustion of fuels such as propane, gasoline and wood. Even relatively small or poorly ventilated sources can push indoor levels into the danger zone much faster than most people expect.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services notes that common symptoms of exposure include headache, nausea, dizziness and confusion, and that about 500 people in the state end up in emergency departments each year because of carbon monoxide. Public health officials say CO detectors and prompt evacuation are still the best defenses both at work and at home.
Response and What Comes Next
Firefighters ultimately traced the elevated carbon monoxide readings to a malfunctioning propane-powered forklift operating inside the facility, and the exact cause of that malfunction remains under investigation. The Fort Atkinson Fire Department was assisted by the Fort Atkinson Police Department, Jefferson County Emergency Communications, WE Energies and fire departments from Whitewater, Lake Mills, Lakeside, Janesville and Jefferson.
The company canceled its second shift while utility service was restored and final safety checks were completed, according to FOX6 News Milwaukee.
No employees suffered life-threatening injuries and no firefighters were hurt during the response, officials said. The Fort Atkinson Fire Department directed media with further questions to contact Chief Bruce Peterson.
