'We were saved:' Anna Faris' carbon monoxide scare serves as warning for travelers

Always check your carbon monoxide detector when traveling. That's what fire officials are urging after responding to a scary incident involving Anna Faris.

Over Thanksgiving, the "Scary Movie" actress rented a home with her family at Lake Tahoe, a popular vacation destination that straddles the California-Nevada border. Two family members on the multi-generational vacation felt ill and left the holiday dinner to get checked out at a local hospital, where they found out they had carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, according to Erin Holland, public information officer for the North Tahoe Fire Protection District.

The fire department responded to the rental home — nine people were checked out and treated there, and two additional people were transported to a hospital. It's unclear whether Faris was among those hospitalized. 

The actress tweeted a photo of the family's empty table with several half-empty plates: "I’m not quite sure how to express gratitude to the north Lake Tahoe fire department - we were saved from carbon monoxide - it’s a stupidly dramatic story but I’m feeling very fortunate"

There was no carbon monoxide detector in the rental home. 

North Tahoe Fire quoted Faris' tweet and added a word of caution: "So #thankful for a happy ending to this #carbonmonoxide #co incident. Never assume you are safe, check your alarms whenever you #Travel!"

Holland, who noted Faris' family opened windows and ventilated the house, commended them for the way they handled the situation. 

"The family thought they had altitude sickness. The CO poisoning symptoms are really similar," she told USA TODAY.  "But they went to the hospital to get checked out, and once they were diagnosed, "the family got out of the house right away." 

When firefighters arrived and tested carbon monoxide levels, they found readings as high as 55 parts per million (ppm), more than five times the maximum recommended indoor levels of 9 ppm.

"The youngest member of the family, had they been exposed longer, could have gone into a coma," Holland said. "Every minute makes a difference. We’re really glad this story had a happy ending."

Travelers, beware: Vacation rentals may not have carbon monoxide, smoke detectors

Holland says that short-term rentals, of which there are more than 2,700 in her fire district, "fall into a gray area" when it comes to regulations. 

"This is something we found concerning because short-term rentals are such an important part of our economy," she said, noting that a new Placer County, California, ordinance will go into effect Jan. 1 requiring short-term rentals to be inspected every three years to ensure they are equipped with smoke and carbon monoxide alarms along with fire extinguishers.  

When booking a vacation rental home, Holland urges travelers to read reviews and ask about safety features. "If you check into a home, make sure it has smoke alarms; go ahead and test them. Make sure it has CO alarms; go ahead and test them."

And if the home doesn't have those things?

Alert the property owner and consider not staying there if they can't address safety issues right away, Holland said. "We all really have to take responsibility for our own situational awareness and our own safety."

Carbon monoxide is often referred to as the silent killer as it is odorless and invisible, and in a place like Lake Tahoe, can easily be mistaken for altitude sickness. Symptoms include headache, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and difficulty breathing.

“We are so thankful to report that this holiday disaster was averted,” North Tahoe Fire Chief Mike Schwartz, said in a news release. “Situational awareness is so important. Whether you are at home or traveling, it is important to ensure that smoke and CO alarms are in working order anywhere you stay. It’s not a bad idea to consider bringing your own alarm when you travel, just to be safe.”