POSTED: 7:16 pm MST January 5, 2009
DENVER -- Denver firefighters believe that carbon monoxide claimed the life of a 23-year-old woman at the Josephine Place Apartments near Denver University, and left another resident hospitalized.

The dead woman was identified Tuesday as Lauren Johnson, a University of Denver graduate student. She was in her first year of the human rights program at DU's international studies school.

Authorities said a woman who lived in the apartments in the 2100 block of Josephine Street, called 911 shortly before 5 p.m. Monday saying she felt woozy.
Firefighters discovered the woman groggy when she answered the door. Another woman in a third-floor apartment, believed to be Johnson, was found unconscious.

Firefighters found extremely high levels of carbon monoxide in the building.

"That unit tested out at about 1,500 parts per million," said Denver Fire spokesman Lt. Phil Champagne. "The normal threshold is about 35 parts per million."

Carbon monoxide in concentrations of 1,200 parts per million can be fatal, Champagne said.

The Denver coroner conducted Johnson's autopsy on Tuesday, but the results are not expected for several days.

Firefighters said a gas-fired boiler system in the building probably malfunctioned, backed up and began spewing gas into the building instead of out, causing elevated levels of carbon monoxide throughout the building.

Residents were evacuated for hours.

Champagne said he believes had the complex not been an open-air building, the number of casualties could have been catastrophic.

Stunned neighbors said the incident is a wake-up call and a grim reminder that a $30 investment in a carbon monoxide detector can save lives.

"I think it's a good idea to have one, just in case. I mean you'd rather have one and never have it go off than not have one and have something bad happen," said Jenny Saulson, who lives in the complex.

"It's pretty important now, especially with what happened today," said resident Julio Perdomo.

Authorities have not released a condition on the second victim who was hospitalized, or her name.

Xcel Energy officials were working on fixing the boiler, but had no word on what caused the leak.

CITATION: THEDENVERCHANNEL.com.