Newington Ice Arena evacuated after high levels of carbon monoxide detected

The Newington Ice Arena was evacuated on Saturday night due to crews detecting high levels of carbon monoxide in the arena.

Firefighters responded to the Newington Ice Arena when they got reports of illness like headaches and vomiting.

“On our meters, it got as high as 200 parts per million,” Newington Volunteer Fire Captain Kirk Rosemond said. “Usually when we get anything over 40, 50 that requires us to go in here so that we can go further in and investigate.”

Rosemond said prolonged exposure of 200 parts per million of carbon monoxide can cause headaches and dizziness. He said prolonged exposure can lead to serious health issues or even death.

Rosemond said leaks are common in the winter.

“We see an uptick of that during the cold months, especially after a snowstorm,” he said. “Could be a simple thing of a blocked vent or a malfunctioning furnace or boiler that is probably overworking themselves.”

Crews and Connecticut Natural Gas located a faulty HVAC unit and an ice resurfacing machine as the cause of high levels of carbon monoxide found in the building.

Property management is working to resolve these issues.

Hockey games were happening at the arena since 9 a.m., according to the arena’s website.

Rosemond said no one was injured.