Missouri Utility Fire Releases Carbon Monoxide

Three employees of a Springfield power plant have been released from the hospital after suffering carbon monoxide poisoning during a fire at the plant.

Fire officials say the blaze in coal bunkers at the John Twitty Energy Center on Monday released dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide.

Assistant Fire Chief Randy Villines says fire crews found carbon monoxide readings up to 3,000 parts per million when they tested air near the bunkers.

The three employees tried to fight the fire inside three of four coal bunkers before firefighters arrived.

The Springfield News-Leader reports that one of the employees was released Monday night and the other two on Tuesday. City Utilities declined to discuss the employees.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated.