Brazzel: 'Be careful with generators'

As the majority of Lincoln Parish faces outages in the aftermath of Hurricane Laura, some homes and businesses with the means to do so have turned to generators to provide much-needed power.

But Ruston Fire Department spokesman Eric Brazzel cautioned residents to keep generators well away from living space, to avoid the deadly risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.

“Be careful with generators, specifically if used near open windows or doors of a home,” Brazzel said Friday afternoon. “They’re strictly for outdoor use only.”

The warning comes after the Louisiana Department of Health confirmed the death of a family in Lake Charles — one of the areas most devastated by Laura — from carbon monoxide poisoning. The family reportedly had placed the generator in an attached garage with the door to the home partially open.

Brazzel said no incidents involving generators had been reported in Lincoln Parish.