An outdoor barbecue was used as an indoor heater at a home in Wentworthville. Photo: FRNSW / supplied
By Paulina Vidal, ABC News
A family of five in Sydney's west are lucky to be alive after inhaling poisonous carbon monoxide from an outdoor barbecue that was being used as an indoor heater.
Three people were left unconscious in the incident that occurred just after 4am on Saturday at a Wentworth Ave unit in Wentworthville.
Emergency services were on the scene within minutes, where the family was taken outdoors and given medical treatment.
Firefighters also "ventilated the apartment" and the gas levels were checked throughout the complex.
"They [the family] brought a charcoal BBQ in from their balcony in a bid to stay warm," Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) said in statement.
"The firefighters in attendance say the CO levels inside the unit were more than four times the dangerous limit."
The three people and a child were taken to Westmead Hospital. They are in a stable condition.
The emergency has prompted a renewed warning from FRNSW that charcoal bead cookers, BBQs and outdoor heaters should not be used indoors, regardless of the chilly conditions.
FRNSW Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said these devices posed an "extreme risk".
"There's nowhere for the poisonous fumes to go if they build up indoors," he said.
"We'll continue to work with all of our communities to spread the awareness about these dangers."
- ABC News