CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Patients at Granite Rehabilitation and Wellness were evacuated today when a gas leak led to dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide.
Cheyenne Fire Rescue responded to the wellness center’s carbon monoxide alarm at 6:33 a.m., with further investigation revealing multiple natural gas leaks occurring. Black Hills Energy and maintenance personnel attempted to work throughout the day in an effort to repair the building’s systems to a workable state, though they were unsuccessful.
Emergency personnel from Cheyenne Fire Rescue, American Medical Response, Black Hills Energy, the Cheyenne-Laramie County Emergency Management Agency and the Cheyenne-Laramie County Public Health Department worked throughout the afternoon to transport roughly 100 patients from Granite Rehabilitation and Wellness Center to other hospitals.
Granite Rehabilitation and Wellness staff are currently in the process of notifying families and working with agencies to transport patients to both local and out-of-state facilities. Using a tracking mechanism, GRB and CFR personnel are working to confirm the safety of patients leaving the wellness center, arriving at the correct hospital and/or being picked up by family members.
The cause of the leak is still under investigation, and staff are unsure when the wellness center will be reopened.
