Rock Valley, IA (KIWA Radio) — There were some tense moments late Sunday night into early Monday, March 9th, as several residents of an assisted living complex in Rock Valley had to be evacuated.
Rock Valley Fire Chief Brent Eshuis says the call came in just after midnight for what was initially believed to be a natural gas leak. He says a gas smell inside the building was strong enough to wake residents. Firefighters shut off the building’s gas valve and entered with air packs and gas monitors. While crews did not detect high levels of natural gas, Eshuis says they did find very high levels of carbon monoxide, indicating that something in the building was not functioning properly.
At that point, firefighters began evacuating the 36 residents who live at the facility. Assistance was requested from the Rock Valley and Hull ambulance squads and the Hull Fire Department. A school bus from the Netherlands Reformed Christian School was used to keep residents warm and together while crews investigated. The Rock Valley Police Department, Sioux Center Police Department, the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office, and Sioux County Emergency Management also responded.
Eshuis says firefighters then began searching for the source of the problem. When they attempted to open the door to one of the attached garages, they found it was hot to the touch. Inside, crews discovered a vehicle that was still running. Authorities believe one of the residents had returned home from church and accidentally left the car running after closing the garage door and going inside.
Crews ventilated the building using fans, and MidAmerican Energy later restored gas service and restarted the building’s equipment.
Residents were allowed to return to their units around 1:45 a.m., according to Eshuis, and emergency responders cleared the scene about 15 minutes later.
