WAKEFIELD, NH – Four people were found dead on Christmas Day in Wakefield, New Hampshire from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning, authorities said.
State Fire Marshal Sean Toomey said police responded to 2962 Province Lake Road in Wakefield shortly after 4 pm Wednesday for a welfare check. Wakefield is a city of about 5,000 that borders Maine, east of Lake Winnipesaukee.
The victims in Wakefield, NH were all adults
The four victims were all adults, authorities said. Their names have not yet been released.
“While the investigation remains active and ongoing, at this time, investigators believe the victims died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning,” Toomey said in a statement.
The medical examiner is scheduled to perform autopsies Thursday to determine the official cause of death. No other information was immediately available.
Carbon monoxide poisoning
The fireman in his statement reminded the neighbors “the importance of having a job carbon monoxide alarms in their homes.”
Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can be produced by household items such as furnaces and portable generators. It kills more than 400 Americans each year and sends more than 100,000 to the emergency room, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Signs of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain, confusion, and other “flu-like” symptoms.
In November, a couple in their late 70s died of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in Bedford, New Hampshire. At the beginning of the year, three people were found dead in a house with high levels of carbon monoxide in Nahant, Massachusetts.