Key Takeaways

  • Anna Faris says 14 relatives were exposed to carbon monoxide at a Lake Tahoe rental in 2019
  • The incident has become a fresh reminder of the safety risks tied to missing or faulty detectors
  • Faris says she now packs a portable carbon monoxide detector whenever she travels

Hollywood actress Anna Faris is putting a terrifying short-term rental experience back in the spotlight after recalling how a Thanksgiving trip to Lake Tahoe nearly turned deadly when her family was exposed to carbon monoxide inside the home.

Faris, 49, best known for starring in the Scary Movie franchise, along with Brokeback Mountain, and Lost in Translation, said the 2019 stay involved 14 family members, several of whom began feeling sick before anyone realized carbon monoxide was building up inside the short-term rental property.

Faris alleged that there were no carbon monoxide detectors installed, a detail that has brought the story back into the spotlight as a warning for both travelers and short-term rental hosts.

Faris revisited the scare on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast earlier this summer, saying the heat had been running throughout the visit while members of the family gradually started feeling sick.

At first, they blamed the symptoms on altitude, exhaustion or too much holiday celebrating.

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The situation changed after Faris’ mother urged her father to go to a local emergency room, where doctors found dangerous levels of carbon monoxide in his blood.

“What I can say is that carbon monoxide is odorless. And it is deadly,” Faris said, adding that pending litigation limited what she could say publicly about the incident, during the June 4 podcast. “There was a lawsuit, so I can’t get too specific,” she added.

Firefighters later woke Faris and her husband after they had passed out. Thirteen other relatives were also exposed, including a pregnant sister-in-law.

 “They (ER doctors) had the wisdom to check his carbon monoxide levels in his blood… Next thing you know, Michael and I were passed out … we were being shook awake by firefighters,” Faris recalled. “I have this hazy memory of being told how lucky I was by a firefighter. It was awful. Horrendous.”

“We were feeling…low, dull, constant headache, drowsy, sluggishness. If you’re feeling those symptoms, just don’t rule out carbon monoxide,” the Hollywood star continued.

Immediately after the incident, Lake Tahoe fire officials commented on the severity of the incident, saying Faris and her family were lucky to be alive.

“We are so thankful to report that this holiday disaster was averted,” Mike Schwartz, fire chief for North Tahoe Fire, said in a statement. “Situational awareness is so important. Whether you are at home or traveling, it is important ensure that smoke and CO alarms are in working order anywhere you stay.”

Since then, Faris says she now travels with a portable carbon monoxide detector everywhere she goes.

A simple safety check hosts should not overlook

The story is a stark reminder of how quickly a basic safety issue can become a serious emergency inside a vacation rental.

Carbon monoxide is colorless and odorless, which means guests may have little warning beyond symptoms like headache, dizziness, nausea or unusual fatigue.

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are important in all short-term rental properties.
Carbon monoxide detector on the ceiling of a property (Photo by Yosuke Ota/Unsplash)

For hosts, that makes working detectors one of the simplest but most important pieces of safety equipment in a property, especially near bedrooms and fuel-burning appliances.

The issue has also taken on more importance as liability questions involving short-term rental properties continue to surface in court.

Portable detectors generally cost only a few dozen dollars and can give travelers an extra layer of protection, even in homes that already have installed alarms.

Faris says her family now treats the devices as standard travel gear and takes symptoms affecting multiple people at the same time seriously rather than waiting to see if they pass.

Related: Three short-term rental insurance red flags operators should know

For short-term rental owners, the takeaway is pretty straightforward.

Hosts should install the right detectors, test them regularly and do not assume guests will notice a problem before it becomes dangerous.

That kind of basic safety documentation is becoming more important in markets already tightening registration and safety compliance rules.

Carbon monoxide kills hundreds of people each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The CDC recommends installing battery-operated alarms near sleeping areas, as well as having regular inspections of devices.

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