One person died and four others were taken to a hospital after residents at a Denver home reported an unexplained odor and difficulty breathing early Tuesday morning, according to the Denver Fire Department.
Firefighters responded to a single-family home near the intersection of East 41st Place and Esenada Street in Denver’s Green Valley Ranch neighborhood at 7:26 a.m. Tuesday after residents called 911 and reported difficulty breathing, Denver Fire spokesman JD Chism said.
One adult died. Two children and two other adults were taken to a hospital for treatment, he said. Another two people were evaluated at the scene, Chism said.
The person who died has not been publicly identified.
All of the people affected by the odor were in the same home and appeared to be family members, Chism said.
He could not say what caused the family’s breathing issues or the source of the unknown odor, and said an investigation was ongoing in tandem with the Denver Police Department. Investigators do not suspect a crime was committed, Chism said.
“At the moment we are working with Denver police with the investigation to determine what the actual cause was,” he said.
Michelle Aguayo, a spokeswoman for Xcel Energy, said Tuesday that the incident was “not a natural gas odor or leak issue.” She directed additional questions to Denver police.
Police spokespeople confirmed the department is conducting a death investigation and that there is no indication a crime was committed. They declined further comment Tuesday.
Additional information was not immediately available.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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