Two men were found dead in a Sea Ranch home, the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday.
At approximately 11:22 a.m. Wednesday the sheriff's office received a call that two men were found dead inside a house in the 300 block of Spinnaker Close in Sea Ranch—an area popular for vacations.
Sheriff's deputies later responded to investigate the deaths, where they found two men in separate bedrooms and a generator in the nearby hallway with an empty fuel tank and the power switch turned on. Deputies believe the incident may be tied to carbon monoxide poisoning.
A work crew had found the men after arriving to remove a tree that had fallen on the home. Cal Fire firefighters were first to respond and pronounced both men dead at the scene.
The identities of the two men are not yet available as coroner detectives continue to investigate.
There has been an uptick in carbon monoxide poisoning incidents during the recent winter storms in the Bay Area, according to The San Francisco Chronicle.
Roughly 420 people in the United States die from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning annually, and more than 100,000 people visit the emergency room due to accidental CO poisoning, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Common symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning are headache, nausea, vomiting, confusion, chest pain, dizziness and weakness, according to the CDC.
Those using generators should do so outdoors and at least 20 feet from occupied buildings, according to CDC guidelines.