Actress Anna Faris and family survive carbon monoxide issue at Lake Tahoe home

NORTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The family of actress Anna Faris had a brush with danger in North Lake Tahoe during the Thanksgiving holiday. The group of 13 rented a vacation home in the 100 block of Tahoma Drive in Tahoe City. Two of them felt ill and went to the hospital where it was determined they were suffering from Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning.

The hospital notified North Tahoe Fire Protection District (NTFPD) who immediately went to the house Faris was renting. They checked out the remaining 11 and sent two more to the hospital according to Erin Holland, the department's public information officer.

"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," said Faris on a Twitter post.

NTFPD responded to the star of the sitcom "Mom" with a tweet of their own - "So #thankful for a happy ending to this #carbonmonoxide #co incident. Never assume you are safe, check your alarms whenever you #Travel!"

Faris tweeted a few photos from the home during her family's Tahoe vacation. It is unknown if they stayed in the home or if Ferris was one of the four hospitalized.

The fire department said the home’s CO2 level was reading as high as 55 parts per million (PPM) the upper levels with a much higher reading on the bottom floor. The maximum recommended indoor CO level is 9 PPM.

The home was not equipped with carbon dioxide detectors.

The incident is still under investigation.

The home has a Vacation Home Rental (VHR) Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) certificate, Holland said. Placer County has not historically required permitting or inspections for the VHRs. They just passed an ordinance that will go into effect on January 1, 2020 that will require both, including safety inspections.

Holland said NTFPD was "super happy" about the new changes, something they've been pushing for over the past year.

"We are really happy to have the support of Placer County in getting it through," said Holland. "Without an ordinance, we had no legal means to enter a short term rental.

NTFPD responds to several calls of CO poisoning or other concerns all winter, especially when that first big storm comes and people fire up their heating devices for long periods of time.

The fire code in Tahoe City says CO alarms should be on every level of the home. As of July 1, 2011, the code was updated to require the alarms in all single-family dwellings.

Holland said carbon monoxide devices should be installed outside each sleeping area of the home including the basement.

"The manufacturer’s installation instruction should also be followed," added Holland. "For maximum protection against CO gas, it is recommended that a CO device be installed in each sleeping room."

"The transient nature of our area makes this a challenge," said Holland. "Residents, second-home owners and visitors alike should make sure these devices are installed and in good working order, as without an alarm they may never know they are being poisoned. Anyone feeling symptoms should go outside for fresh air. If it alleviates the symptoms, call 911 and ventilate the structure, and stay outside or where there is fresh air until fire crews can investigate. Never hesitate to seek help!"

Photo: Anna Faris tweeted this photo of Thanksgiving at the Lake Tahoe home