WEST HAVEN, Utah — Firefighters were initially confused when carbon monoxide alarms started blaring at townhomes in West Haven, as the units are completely electric.
Around 4:50 p.m. Wednesday, crews were sent to the townhomes because alarm readings exceeded 140, officials told FOX 13 News.
Since there were no gas appliances in the units, firefighters started looking for things like running cars and illegal activity, like a drug lab, as the source of the carbon monoxide.
One resident of the townhomes wasn't home at the time and due to safety concerns, first responders entered the unit.
Carbon monoxide readings inside that townhome were the highest of all, but responders didn't find a car running or anything else that would have been a major red flag.
Eventually, the resident of the townhome returned and told crews that he started his car in his garage to warm it up, but then left his home in another car and forgot to turn the car off.
Officials said the car had been running so long that it ran out of gas.
Weber Fire officials said that while nobody was exposed long enough to get sick, the situation could have been potentially fatal, especially for the owner of the vehicle.
As temperatures plummet, it can be enticing to warm up your car ahead of time but officials warned that turning on a car inside a garage can be deadly.
If you want to safely warm up your car, be sure to do so outside, in the open air. But be aware of the potential for thieves to steal running cars, which is common in the colder months.
After the source of the carbon monoxide had been determined, crews were able to help air out the other impacted townhomes and nobody was displaced.
