The Building Blocks Learning Center daycare in Kittery, Maine, remains closed 24 hours after a carbon monoxide incident sent several people to the hospital Wednesday afternoon, including seven small children between the ages of six months and five years old.
Several adults were treated too, including employees of the daycare and Mia Johnson who runs Zen Spa, located in the same building.
“[I felt] dizzy, and a headache,” said Johnson.
The State Fire Marshal says a propane powered concrete saw was being used to separate part of the building that’s under construction. He says carbon monoxide from the saw infiltrated the daycare through the HVAC system and suspended ceiling.
An investigation also revealed that no construction permit was ever pulled where the saw was being used and that those saws aren’t intended for indoor use.
The construction workers at the site did not comment.
The fire chief says the carbon monoxide level readings inside the building were off the charts.
“We were seeing 10, over 10 times the amount of acceptable levels of carbon monoxide in the building,” he said.
All injuries were described as non life threatening.
(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)