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A release of carbon dioxide, likely triggered as a firefighting response, nearly killed a man and led to a partial evacuation of Los Angeles International Airport on Monday, authorities said.

Los Angeles fire crews were sent to the airport, one of the country's busiest hubs, shortly after 7 a.m. PT to investigate "the cause of an apparent gas leak in Terminal 8," LAX said in a statement.

Evacuated passengers were sent to Terminal 7, where United Airlines operates at LAX, officials said. A ground stop temporarily kept United Airlines flights from landing at the airport, its major national hub, just south of downtown.

Independent contractors working at LAX, three men and a woman, were sickened by their exposure to fumes coming from a utility closet, firefighters said.

The woman and two of her male colleagues were "treated at scene for minor complaints," the fire department said.

The fourth victim, a man in his 50s, "was found pulseless and non-breathing inside the utility room," the statement said.

Paramedics performed CPR, and his "condition was updated from grave to critical on hospital arrival," firefighters said.

The carbon dioxide exposure was so strong that it was likely a release used in a fire suppression system, Fire Capt. Erik Scott said.

In some systems, carbon dioxide is used instead of water because it can quickly snuff out flames by replacing oxygen, one of the three primary elements of fire, Scott said.

The displacement of oxygen is key to ending fire, but it could also prove deadly to anyone nearby.

"They heard a popping sound, and that was a complete deluge of that system," Scott told reporters. "It doesn't come out as a short sporadic amount of carbon dioxide but rather a full deluge. Obviously that displaces all of the oxygen inside, and three people quickly got out.

"But one adult male approximately 50 years old was still inside. The carbon dioxide displaces the oxygen in the individual's bloodstream, and they went into cardiac arrest," Scott said.

"Firefighters were on scene within five minutes, but we also want to applaud our partners at LAX airport police who jumped in and started CPR right away."

The utility room where the carbon dioxide was released is about 200 feet from the baggage claim area, but no passengers were exposed.

It was not immediately known why the fire-suppression system was triggered.

“They might have been using welding equipment. There might be heat involved or a spark — that’s all part of the active, ongoing investigation," Scott said. "There’s no indication there was any explosion, and there was no fire.”

The use of carbon dioxide as a firefighting agent is rare outside specialized situations.

"It's a unique fire-suppression system that is not used in an average area," Scott said. "But it's used more frequently in an area where there's a high level of electrical components that would be damaged from water."

The driver of an SUV veered into the wrong lane and plowed through dozens of Los Angeles County sheriff’s academy recruits running in formation during a training exercise early Wednesday, injuring 25 of the cadets, authorities said.

The most serious injuries included head trauma, broken bones and “loss of limb,” said Sheriff Alex Villanueva. He said five people were critically injured, four had moderate injuries and 16 had minor injuries.

“So far, it looks like it’s an accident, a horrific accident,” Villanueva said, adding that he was told the scene looked like the aftermath of an airplane wreck.

Running shoes and a backpack were strewn on the ground. Close by was also a 25 mph (40 kph) speed limit sign.

“There were so many bodies scattered everywhere in different states of injury that it was pretty traumatic for all individuals involved,” Villanueva said.

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Read more: 5 killed, 40 injured after SUV drives through Christmas parade in Wisconsin: police

About 75 recruits, from the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and several local police agencies, were running in formation in the street just before 6:30 a.m. in the Los Angeles suburb of Whittier when the driver veered into the wrong lane and struck the runners before crashing into a nearby light pole, authorities said.

“Thank God for that light pole, because the vehicle ultimately hit it and stopped, as opposed to possibly hitting more recruits,” Capt. Patrick Macdonald of the academy said.

The driver was only identified as a 22-year-old man from suburban Diamond Bar who suffered a minor injury. The sheriff said a field sobriety test on the driver was negative.

Assistant Chief Charlie Sampson of the California Highway Patrol, which is leading the crash investigation, said officials were looking at all possibilities, ranging from an intentional act to impaired driving.

The class of recruits was in their eighth week and had 14 more weeks to go.

“I am personally heart sick,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn said, adding that she was focusing on the cadets who were injured to pull through this.

The recruits were running in four columns with two black-and-white radio cars and eight “road guards” wearing reflective vests, said Macdonald said. They had completed about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) of a typical, 3.5 mile (5.6 kilometer) training run and were wearing white T-shirts and green shorts, he said.

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Deputies got help from a nearby county fire station, but also immediately transported some of the most badly injured directly to hospitals, possibly saving their lives, said county Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone.

“Our hearts are with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s recruits injured this morning while training to serve their communities,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “Jennifer and I send our best wishes for their recovery and stand with their loved ones and colleagues at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department during this difficult time.”

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