A carbon monoxide scare forced the shutdown of a number of businesses in Briarcliff Manor this morning.

Fire officials say they received alerts of fire alarms and carbon monoxide activation around 10:30 a.m. from businesses on Pleasantville Road. When they arrived, they found restaurant employees at 1201 Pleasantville Road using a gasoline-fueled power washer outside the basement of the building. Fumes from the power washer were seeping inside and into connecting businesses.

Briarcliff Manor Fire Chief Dennis Reilly says crews evacuated the businesses and then ventilated the area. After an hour, air quality readings were clear enough to let people back inside.

Chief Reilly says CO detectors might have saved some lives today. "You can't smell it. You can't see it. If they didn't have detectors, they wouldn't have known it was there."