On Monday evening, the Haines Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to investigate a smoke alarm ringing in a two story building. A car had been running in the garage on the ground floor, and carbon monoxide built up in the building until the alarms went off. The nine occupants were taken out of the building. HVFD Chief Brian Clay describes:

“We checked all the people in the building for their CO levels, and then the three that were in the hottest part of the house were given oxygen and then they drove themselves to the clinic later.”

No one was injured in the incident, but the potential for serious consequences was there.

“Three people in there were having the first  symptoms of CO poisoning which is a headache. CO is deadly. It’s odorless and colorless, you don’t know it’s there, it’s just deadly.”

Chief Clay emphasizes these takeaway lessons.

“One is don’t run your car inside the garage, even with the door open, it will just build up. Any heating elements, anything that burns puts off CO gas. So run your car outside, don’t run snow blowers in the garage to warm them up, that kind of stuff. If the CO alarms are going off in your house, exit, you can go to your neighbor’s house while we clear the building and then we’ll let you know if it’s safe to go back in.”

Seven volunteers responded to the call.