Police: hissing noise, odor of gas preceded Salem, NH home explosion

SALEM, N.H. — Police and fire officials in Salem are investigating an explosion and fire at a condemned home on Irving Street.

Around 5 p.m., police officers were called to the home for a dispute between neighbors. When they arrived they were unable to make contact with anyone inside the home, but did find a vehicle belonging to a previous occupant of the home in the driveway.

While searching the area around the home, officers said they heard a hissing noise and smelled gas, at that point the went back to the street.

As the officers got back to their cruisers, an explosion occurred inside the home, destroying part of the roof and knocking out all of the windows. A fire began that destroyed what was left of the home.

“We heard a big explosion or something,” neighbor Gregg Sapochetti said. “I go back and I see smoke pouring out the windows and I call 911.”

It's unclear if there was anyone in the home at the time, and Salem Fire Chief Paul Parisi said investigators will not be able to get inside until Tuesday, after they are sure there's no more threat for flare ups.

“It is our opinion that if someone was in that house they are deceased,” Parisi said.

During the fire, popping noises were audible from inside the home, although the cause of those noises is unknown.

“It was just pop, pop, pop and it kept going for a while,” neighbor Cindy Lombardi said.

The identity of the previous occupant has not yet been released and investigators are still working to determine the cause of the explosion.

“The guy, there’s a history with that guy in the neighborhood. He’s a troublemaker,” Sapochetti said. “He hadn’t been in there for a long, long time and then just the other day I thought I saw the shades move.”

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