Workers find men dead in home with generator turned on and fuel tank empty, CA cops say

Two men were found dead in a California home where a generator was turned on and the fuel tank was empty, authorities said.

The bodies were discovered on Jan. 11 by crew members who’d been sent to the house in Sea Ranch to remove a tree that had fallen, according to a news release posted on Facebook by the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office.

Storms have pounded the area in recent days but authorities did not say the deaths are weather-related.

Firefighters were the first to respond to the house and pronounced the men dead, the post said.

Sonoma County Sheriff’s deputies investigating the deaths found the men

in separate bedrooms with a generator in the hallway, according to the release.

The generator was turned on and the fuel tank was empty, officials said.

Deputies said the coroner’s office will identify the men and conduct an investigation into their deaths.be working towards identifying the men and will be conducting an investigation into their death.

The sheriff’s office reminds the public about the dangers of using a generator inside a building, according to the release.

“Generators release noxious fumes that can result in carbon monoxide poisoning and death,” officials said. Keep the generator at least 20 feet away from buildings that have people inside.

Sea Ranch is in the coastal mountains of Sonoma County, about 110 miles southeast northwest of San Francisco.

This story was originally published January 12, 2023 at 2:45 PM.