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TROY, Ohio (AP) — Officials have determined a blocked chimney flue at a southwest Ohio home caused carbon monoxide poisoning that led to the deaths of three children and left a fourth in critical condition.
They were found unresponsive Friday in Troy, roughly 20 miles north of Dayton. A flue pipe connected to the furnace didn't properly vent the colorless, odorless gas, assistant fire chief Matthew Simmons told the Dayton Daily News (http://bit.ly/1zUqq5N ).
He said emergency responders quickly recognized signs that it was a carbon monoxide case, including the walls and ceiling having a buildup of soot that "didn't just happen in a few days," Simmons said.
A 13-year-old girl and her 14-year-old sister died that day. Their 13-year-old cousin died Sunday. Her 8-year-old brother remained in critical condition Tuesday, according to Dayton Children's Hospital.
The children had felt ill for days. They lived with their grandmother, who was hospitalized with pneumonia Friday.
An attorney for a couple who own the home has said they weren't aware of furnace problems and didn't know children lived there.
Fire officials say such deaths are preventable if residents make sure they have proper detectors and learn the potential causes and signs of carbon monoxide poisoning.
"We really just want to learn from this and really try to educate the community," Simmons said.
To that end, the fire department and the city are partnering with community organizations to distribute carbon monoxide detectors at multiple locations, and a hardware store offered to donate a detector for each one purchased there, the newspaper said.
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Information from: Dayton Daily News, http://www.daytondailynews.com
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