SUMPTER TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Two young girls died from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning inside a garage on Executive Drive in Sumpter Township on the Fourth of July after a portable gas-powered generator ran in the enclosed space during a power outage caused by severe storms.
Watch Randy Wimbley's video report:
Police say officers and firefighters were called to the home around 10:20 a.m. Saturday. Inside the garage, they found two girls — ages 8 and 12 — not breathing. First responders were unable to revive them.
Dispatch audio captured the moments after first responders arrived.
"They've just located them in the garage, I believe. Unknown if breathing, possible carbon monoxide poisoning," the audio said.
Sumpter Fire Chief Jamie Goode said multiple agencies responded to the scene.
"We had a fast response time from our department. We had mutual aid from Huron Township Fire Department and Huron Valley Ambulance out there and unfortunately, the children succumbed to their injuries."
Hear more from Chief Jamie Goode in the video player below:
The tragedy shook people across Sumpter Township and neighboring communities.
Kristin Faull, a community member, said the deaths hit close to home.
"It's absolutely devastating. I mean, it's unfortunate that people don't understand that generators put out carbon monoxide and you know, it's just sad," Faull said.
Faull said the ages of the victims made the loss even harder to process.
"Like two young kids at that age — it's sad. It's just absolutely devastating. As a parent, I don't even know what I would do," Faull said.
Shawna Jones, another community member, said she could only imagine the grief the family is experiencing.
"If something like that happened to my kids, I would be like distraught. Due to, they're using the generator just so they can get some lights and air to keep cool, keep their food together. I would be, like, devastated," Jones said.
First responders are urging people to never operate a generator inside a home, garage, basement, shed, or any other enclosed space. Goode said generators should be kept well away from any structure.
"People running their home generators with portable gas generators, you want to keep those at least 20 feet away from your residence, have the exhaust facing away from the residence. Don't put them in your garages, underneath overhangs, anywhere close to the house where carbon monoxide can collect. They can seep in through the walls, through windows," Goode said.
Goode also stressed the importance of having working carbon monoxide detectors in every home and said help is available for residents who need them.
"Contact your local fire department. Most fire departments are part of MI Prevention, where the state gives us the carbon monoxide detectors and smoke detectors, and the fire department will come out to your house and install them in the appropriate places," Goode said.
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