Players, coaches treated for carbon monoxide at Duluth arena

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At least 14 people who attended a hockey practice at Fryberger Arena on Wednesday night were checked out by emergency responders after reports of carbon-monoxide poisoning symptoms.

The Duluth Fire Department arrived on the scene of the arena just after 8 p.m. as some of the people who had been at the arena returned on the advice of medical personnel. Medical technicians checked for signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. Eight to 10 people at the scene had elevated levels of carbon monoxide.

Acting Assistant Fire Chief Jerry Keppers said that “dangerously high” levels were found in the arena.

Some players and coaches with higher risks went directly to hospitals after feeling symptoms at home.

Online schedules show that the Duluth Heights Mite 1 team had a practice from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Fryberger, which is off of Woodland Avenue in the Hartley Park area of Duluth. Several teams had been practicing after school Wednesday and a phone tree system was used to contact players who already had left the arena.

The fire department hasn’t determined where the carbon monoxide came from.

The issue of air quality at ice arenas came up in 2010 when bills made their way through the Minnesota Legislature aimed at improving ice rink air quality, especially by reducing carbon monoxide and nitrous dioxide produced by internal combustion engines.

At the time, Gordy Atol of Duluth, arena manager at the Duluth Heritage Sports Center and Fryberger Arena, said ice arenas in Minnesota are required to test air quality once a week and make quarterly reports to the Department of Health. He said the Zamboni machines at Heritage and Fryberger, which run on propane, have emissions tests once a year.

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