Northfield Retirement Community Building Evacuated Friday Morning

By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net

Emergency crews responded to the Northfield Retirement Community Parkview West Building early on Friday morning concerning high carbon monoxide levels. Parkview West is an independent living facility. 

According to a press release from the City of Northfield, The Northfield Police Department, Northfield Area Fire & Rescue Service, Emergency Medical Services from Northfield Hospital and Clinics, and Rice County Emergency Management responded to the scene. Fire crews determined high levels of carbon monoxide in the building. First responders working with NRC staff were able to evacuate all the residents of the building. 

Image provided by the City of Northfield.

Fire crews monitored CO levels in hallways and individual residences while checking each living unit for residents. EMS crews evaluated 50 residents and treated one for asthma-related symptoms. No residents were transported to the hospital. Fire crews ventilated the building and re-tested air quality several times for over 2 hours before residents were allowed back into the building once CO levels were gone.

An investigation by Northfield Police into the cause of the CO revealed a resident had moved their car inside a garage in the building Thursday night to avoid hail damage with the storms that rolled through the area. The car equipped with push button ignition, was inadvertently left running at that time and ran overnight in the closed garage. As a result, CO entered the hallway areas of the building.

The staff of the Northfield Retirement Community were thanked for being “extremely helpful in caring for residents during the evacuation period.” The NRC is working with Fire Chief & Fire Code Official Tom Nelson on a plan for installing the required CO detection in the building. A temporary solution was installed by the end of the day Friday. 

Related Posts

Local Events

Rice County Historical Society Speak Easy Fundraiser

Saturday, June 7, 2025 @ 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Calling all Rum Runners, Bootleggers, Flappers, and Moonshiners! Join RCHS on June 7 for a night of fun, drinking, dancing, and raffles as we step back to the 1920s. Prohibition made bars and the sale of alcohol illegal across the United States, but illegal bars called Speakeasys showed up in every town and city. We […]

View Event »

Northfield Holistic Health Summit 2025, Healthy Nerves, Healthy Brain

Saturday, May 10, 2025 @ 9:30 am – 3:30 pm – Improve your health without medications, remove energy barriers, restore balance naturally. Learn about: nutrition, acupuncture, chiropractic therapy, naturopathy, setting boundaries, laser therapy, light therapy, mental health, exercise therapy, neurology and traditional Chinese herbal medicines. May 10, 9:30am-3:30pm at Emmaus Church in Northfield. Click here for more information.

View Event »

Threads of Tanka: A Reading and Poetry Writing Event

Saturday, April 26, 2025 @ 11:00 am – Threads of Tanka: A Reading and Poetry Writing Event: Saturday, April 26, 11:00 a.m.at Northfield Public Library Celebrate National Poetry Month this April with the Poet Laureate of Northfield, Russ Paladin, and the Minnesota Poet Laureate, Gwen Nell Westerman! Russ and Gwen will come together for an interactive event that includes poetry readings, a conversation […]

View Event »

Creating a Just and Caring Community: Housing, Hunger, and Economic Security in the Northfield Area

Thursday, April 24, 2025 @ 6:00 pm – 7:15 pm – Housing, Hunger, and Economic Security in the Northfield Area with Anika Rychner, Senior Director of the Northfield Community Action Center. Understand the realities of local poverty; join in conversation; learn what we can do to help. Free and open to the public. Food or cash donations to the CAC are welcome. Thursday, April 24, 6-7:15pm […]

View Event »