Texas Family Believed To Have Used Charcoal Grill For Heat Amid Bitter Cold Hospitalized For Carbon Monoxide Poisoning - Forbes

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Topline

A family of six was hospitalized Monday afternoon in Houston after reportedly using a charcoal grill to heat their apartment amid widespread power outages in the state caused by the brutal winter storm sweeping the country.

Key Facts

The Cy-Fair Fire Department, which services Harris County, said around 5 p.m. ET that the six-person family had been hospitalized for carbon monoxide poisoning likely caused by burning of a charcoal grill for hours to stay warm amid the storm.

Among those hospitalized are four children between the ages of 5 and 10 years old, according to authorities.

One adult and one child are in critical condition at Memorial Hermann Cypress Hospital.

Crucial Quote

"Please remember to never heat your home with a grill or oven," the fire department warned in a statement. "Please remember to never run a generator or grill inside your home. These produce carbon monoxide, which is a deadly, colorless and odorless gas."

Key Background

Millions of Texas residents spent Monday without consistent power amid forecasts for the lowest temperatures in decades. Houston’s energy provider CenterPoint told customers that they shouldn’t expect to have outages reversed by the end of the day, meaning over a million could spend one of the coldest nights in Houston’s history without heat. A sign of the situation’s severity: Harris County officials advised residents to call 911 if they develop signs of hypothermia while at home.