Five people fall ill after faulty water heater sets off carbon monoxide alarm

Five people were being treated at Kaiser on Sunday afternoon, after a faulty water heater set off the family’s carbon monoxide alarm in Vallejo.

Firefighters responded to a 911 call at 1:30 p.m. from an apartment in the 100 block of Maher Court. They found an adult and four juveniles feeling ill from what turned out to be a clogged vent in a water heater, said Vallejo Fire Department Battalion Chief Cliff Campbell.

The four-apartment complex was immediately evacuated. One resident of an adjacent unit was examined by firefighters, but declined a trip to the hospital. No other injuries were reported.

Residents were allowed back in their homes by 3 p.m., Campbell said, who added PG&E and the property manager were on scene, addressing the problem by 3:30 p.m.