Hot temps mean high danger for kids, pets left in cars

It is hot in eastern Idaho.

Temperatures across the Snake River Plain reached over 90-degrees in some places on Monday.

With the heat, comes added danger — especially for kids and pets left inside cars.

Idaho Falls mom Ashley Scott told us she cannot understand how anyone could leave a kid inside a hot car.

“It would make me sick just thinking of leaving them in a hot car like that,” she said.

Most local folks our station spoke with on Monday echoed Scott’s feelings.

Under the watchful eye of station photographer Jackson Hampton, reporter Caleb James sat in his car with the windows rolled up for 5 minutes.

“We’re just one minute in, the temperature’s gone up 4 degrees,” said James. “In 3 minutes, we’ve gone up 15 degrees in a closed car with all the windows rolled up.”

It wasn’t too surprising. Then, James rolled his windows down.

“3, 2, 1, here we are, 105 degrees,” he said.

Windows up or down, Scott knows what she’d do if she saw a kid in a hot car.

“I’d definitely call the cops,” she said.

Idaho Falls Police sergeant Dave Frei said simply leaving a kid inside a car can be a misdemeanor crime.

“The only thing required under injury to a child is that the parent put the child in a situation where they could have been harmed, so that would definitely qualify,” he said.

Frei said there is potential for a felony charge if injury occurs.

According to Safe Kids USA, an average 38 child deaths a year are blamed on kids left inside a car on a hot day.