Four people were found dead in New Hampshire over Christmas, apparently suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning

Four people were found dead of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in a New Hampshire home on Christmas Day, officials said.

The four adults were found dead in the Wakefield home about 4:20 p.m. after authorities were contacted to conduct a welfare check, the state fire marshal and police said.

“While the investigation is still active and ongoing, investigators currently believe the victims died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning,” the firefighter and Wakefield police and fire chiefs said in a news release.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, more than 400 people die each year in the United States from carbon monoxide poisoning that is not related to fires.

The colorless and odorless gas can come from power generators, ovens, vehicle exhaust and other sources.

State Fire Marshal Sean P. Toomey emphasized the importance of having working carbon monoxide detectors in homes in his statement Wednesday.

Wakefield is a town of about 5,000 residents in the eastern part of New Hampshire, near the Maine border.