Four people were found dead of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in a New Hampshire home on Christmas Day, authorities said.
Four adults were found dead in a Wakefield home around 4:20 p.m. after authorities were called to conduct a welfare check, according to the state fire marshal and police.
“While the investigation remains active and ongoing, at this time investigators believe the victims died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning,” the Fire Marshal, Wakefield Police Department and Wakefield Fire and Rescue Service said in a statement. said in a news release.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on its website that more than 400 people die each year in the United States from carbon monoxide poisoning unrelated to fires.
The colorless and odorless gas comes from generators, furnaces, and vehicle exhaust.
New Hampshire State Fire Marshal Sean P. Toomey emphasized the importance of installing carbon monoxide alarms in homes in a statement regarding Wednesday’s incident.
Wakefield is a town of about 5,000 people in eastern New Hampshire, near the border with Maine.
