Dangerously high carbon monoxide levels forced the evacuation of a high-rise Thursday afternoon on Chicago’s Near North Side.
Just before 12:15 p.m., the Chicago Fire Department said crews were evacuating an office building at 770 N. LaSalle due to elevated carbon monoxide levels were found to be high enough to prompt a hazmat response. [[416354153, C]]
The office building is located in the city’s River North neighborhood, near the intersection of North LaSalle Drive and Chicago Avenue.
Fire officials said the carbon monoxide was being leaked from a gasoline-operated generator being used by a construction crew on the structure's first floor.
"Lesson: Never run gasoline powered device inside a building as CO levels will rise rapidly!" the fire department said in a tweet.
