Fire Department

A west side family called 911 after their carbon monoxide detector began sounding unexpectedly in the middle of the night. Engine Co. 7 responded and approached the residence with a Sensit air monitor in tow. The air monitor picked up signs of carbon monoxide at the front door with readings at 35 parts per million (ppm) and rapidly increasing. The occupants had not evacuated yet, and firefighters promptly escorted them outside.

Firefighters surveyed the residence, finding a spike in carbon monoxide readings in the attached garage. CO levels clocked in at 365 ppm, and the hood of the parked car was warm to the touch. Engine 7 opened the garage door to release the carbon monoxide and let in fresh air.

In speaking with the family, firefighters learned a young child had been playing with the car’s key fob before bedtime. In doing so, the child may have accidentally activated the car's remote start feature. Firefighters opened windows throughout the residence and set up a fan to clear the air. Carbon monoxide was also detected in adjacent condo units, and those units were also ventilated as occupants waited outside.