JANUARY 15 10:47AM  |  Detectives did not find a fixed heater unit in an apartment where three people were found dead possibly due to carbon monoxide poisoning earlier this week, said Long Beach Police Department (LBPD) spokeswoman Nancy Pratt.

Officials are still trying to determine why the occupants in the apartment, located on the 1100 block of Gardenia Avenue, were using a propane heater.

“A large portable propane heater was located inside the unit,” Pratt said. “It appears the occupants were using [it] for warmth. These type of heaters are not intended for indoor use and can produce deadly levels of carbon monoxide if the area is not adequately ventilated.”

According to Long Beach Development Services’ website, a dwelling unit “must be maintained at a room temperature of 70 degrees fahrenheit at a point three feet above the floor in all habitable areas.”

No further information is currently available. We will update this story as we learn more.

JANUARY 14 9:20AM  |  Two of the three people who were found dead in a Long Beach apartment Monday evening were identified Wednesday morning, authorities said.

Albert Salazar, 51, of San Pedro and Jamie Ballantyne, 34, of Long Beach, were found in a state of decomposition at about 7:00PM Monday when police were conducting a welfare check on people living in the apartment in the 1100 block of Gardenia Avenue, said Los Angeles County Coroner’s Chief Craig Harvey. The third victim’s name and age were unknown, he said.

Autopsies to determine the exact cause of their deaths are pending, but authorities believe the three victims were poisoned by carbon monoxide as a result of using a propane heater inside the apartment.

JANUARY 13 9:33AM  |  Three bodies were found in a state of decomposition Monday evening in a Long Beach apartment. Authorities believe they may have died from exposure to carbon monoxide fumes.

The bodies were discovered when Long Beach Police Department officers were conducting a welfare check on the people living in the apartment on the 1100 block of Gardenia Avenue at around 7:00PM, said Los Angeles County Department of Coroner’s Chief Ed Winter.

Authorities said the residents, including a man in his 50s, a woman in her 30s and a male whose age was unknown, may have been overcome by carbon monoxide fumes. A propane heater was discovered near the victims, who were found in a bedroom, Winter said.

Long Beach Police Department spokeswoman Nancy Pratt said officers found the bodies after going to the scene in response to a report of a “foul odor emitting from one of the units.”

The relationship between the occupants was unknown, Pratt said.

“A large portable propane heater was located inside the unit,” Pratt said. “It appears the occupants were using [it] for warmth. These type of heaters are not intended for indoor use and can produce deadly levels of carbon monoxide if the area is not adequately ventilated.”

The victims’ names were withheld pending notification of next of kin.

The case is being investigated as an accident, Winter said.

No further details were available. We will update this story as more information becomes available.

First Alert released the following tips and facts about carbon monoxide:

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless and odorless gas known as the silent killer. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, CO poisoning is the number one cause of accidental poisoning in the United States. Diagnosis of CO poisoning can be difficult because symptoms mimic those of many other illnesses and include nausea, headaches, dizziness, weakness, chest pain and vomiting. In more severe poisoning cases, people may experience disorientation or unconsciousness, or suffer long-term neurological disabilities, cardiorespiratory failure or death. Regardless of a home’s age, people can be exposed to this poisonous gas, which originates from anything that burns fuel, such as gas furnaces, stoves, water heaters, barbeque grills, wood-burning fireplaces and automobiles.

CO Risks and Fatalities
Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of CO exposure is in the home, and more than two-fifths (41 percent) occurs during the winter months of December, January and February. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Ninety percent of American homes do not meet the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) recommendation for number of CO alarms, including 40 percent that report having zero working carbon monoxide alarms. (First Alert “Get Alarmed” Survey, July 2010)

Avoiding CO Poisoning
All fuel-burning (gas, oil and coal) devices should be serviced by a qualified technician every year. Generators, charcoal grills, camp stoves and other similar devices should only be used outdoors.
Running vehicles inside an attached garage, even if the door is open, is hazardous, as CO can leak into the home.
CO alarms should be installed outside each sleeping area (such as in a hallway outside the bedroom). For maximum protection, an alarm should be installed on each level of the home. Battery-operated CO alarms or plug-in alarms with battery backup are preferred in case of power failure.
Call 911 and leave the home immediately if the CO alarm sounds.

Additional CO Alarm Guidelines
Clear CO alarms of all of dust and debris.
Ensure that alarms are plugged all the way into the outlet or, if battery operated, have working batteries installed. Check or replace the battery when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall.
Make certain each person can hear the CO alarm sound from his or her sleeping room and that the sound is loud enough to awaken everyone.
Make sure the alarms are installed at least 15 feet away from sources of CO to reduce the number of nuisance alarms.

CO Alarm Legislation
Numerous states have passed legislation requiring CO alarms in residential homes and other types of dwellings. Included are Alaska, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia.
Many major U.S. cities – including Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia and St. Louis – also have municipal CO codes.

City News Service contributed to this report.