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Girl seriously burned, grandmother dead after Derry, NH, house explosion during nor'easter

Girl seriously burned, grandmother dead after Derry, NH, house explosion during nor'easter
OUR JOHN ATWATER IS THERE. LIVE RIGHT NOW. JOHN. WELL, THIS WAS JUST A DEVASTATING EXPLOSION TODAY. YOU LOOK BEHIND US HERE. THERE IS JUST NOTHING LEFT OF THIS HOUSE. IT BLEW APART AND IT APPEARS THE STRONG WINDS TODAY MAY BE TO BLAME FOR THIS DEADLY FIRE. THE FIRE WAS RAGING BY THE TIME FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVED ON GOODHUE ROAD, AND SOMEHOW AN 11 YEAR OLD GIRL MANAGED TO ESCAPE. SHE’S A STRONG LITTLE GIRL, AND IT’S A VERY SAD THAT WE HAD TO LOSE A FAMILY MEMBER IN THIS STORM. A FREAK ACCIDENT AND HOW IT HAPPENED. FAMILY SAYS THE GIRL’S GRANDMOTHER WAS KILLED IN THE EXPLOSION AND THEY ARE BLAMING THE POWERFUL STORM FOR THE TRAGIC OUTCOME. APPARENTLY, A TREE FELL ON THEIR PROPANE TANK AND ALL THE SUDDEN WE HEARD THIS BIG, LOUD BOOM. NEIGHBORS HEARD AND FELT THE BLAST. AND NOW FIREFIGHTERS ARE INVESTIGATING WHETHER THAT TREE DAMAGED THE PROPANE TANK, SPARKING THE DEVASTATING EXPLOSION. FAMILY SAYS THE 11 YEAR OLD HOME FROM SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THE STORM WAS INSIDE AT THE TIME WITH HER GRANDMOTHER. SHE RAN OUT OF THE HOUSE. I DON’T THINK IT WAS THROUGH A DOOR, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT SHE RAN OUT OF THE HOUSE AND WAS ABLE TO SCREAM AS LOUD AS SHE COULD AND FLAGGED DOWN NEIGHBORS. THE LITTLE GIRL KEPT SAYING THAT HER GRANDMA WAS IN THE HOUSE, SO WE WENT OVER TOWARDS THE PROPERTY YELLING FOR GRANDMA. THIS NEIGHBOR WENT WITH THE GIRL IN THE AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL AND FAMILY. LATER LEARNED THAT HER GRANDMOTHER, WHO HAD RECENTLY MOVED IN WITH THE FAMILY, DID NOT SURVIVE. EVERYTHING WAS GOING GREAT. IT WAS A GREAT WOMAN. AS FIREFIGHTERS SIFT THROUGH WHAT’S LEFT, FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE NOW FOCUSED ON THE 11 YEAR OLD’S RECOVERY. WELL AWARE OF BOTH THE PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL PAIN SHE’S FEELING. SHE’S DOING OKAY. SHE WAS PRETTY SHAKEN UP, BUT SHE’S SHE’S A TROOPER AND THANKFULLY IT DOES LOOK LIKE THAT 11 YEAR OLD GIRL IS GOING TO BE OKAY. BUT IT IS GOING TO BE A VERY LONG ROAD AHEAD FOR HER ENTIRE FAMILY. WE’
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Girl seriously burned, grandmother dead after Derry, NH, house explosion during nor'easter
An 11-year-old girl has been hospitalized with serious burns and her grandmother is dead following a house explosion in New Hampshire during Thursday's storm, according to family members of the victims.The New Hampshire State Fire Marshal's Office confirmed one person died in Derry as a result of an explosion and fire that happened at about 11:40 a.m. Thursday at 141 Goodhue Road.Authorities said Derry firefighters found heavy flames coming from the single-family home when they arrived at the scene, and that they received reports of a person who was still inside the burning house.Firefighters found one person dead in the driveway, officials said. The only other person who was in the home at the time of the explosion was transported to Parkland Medical Center in Derry and then transferred to a Boston area hospital for medical treatment. Video from the scene shows one side of the house was blown out by the explosion. Crews were also seen working with a backhoe to clear the rubble.Family members told NewsCenter 5 reporter John Atwater that a tree fell on a propane tank and punctured it, sparking the house explosion. The girl was home because school had been canceled because of the poor weather caused by Thursday's nor'easter."My niece had said that she ran out of the house. I don't think it was through a door, unfortunately," said Lauren Childs, the girl's aunt. "But she ran out of the house and was able to scream as loud as she could and flag down neighbors." "The little girl kept saying that her grandma was in the house, so we went over toward the property yelling for grandma," a neighbor said.Family members said the girl suffered burns to her face, hands and feet, and that she was transferred to Shriners Children's Boston, a pediatric specialty care hospital. The girl is expected to recover from her injuries, according to her family.The girl's grandmother, who family members said recently moved into the home, did not survive the explosion."She's a strong little girl and it's very sad that we had to lose a family member in this storm — the freak accident and how it happened," Childs said.The State Fire Marshal's Office said they will share the victim's name once an autopsy is conducted Friday at the New Hampshire State Medical Examiner's Office in Concord.Derry Fire Chief Shawn Haggart said the conditions during Thursday's storm made it more difficult to extinguish the fire. Firefighters worked through the heavy snow and wind to put out the flames and contain the smoke."It certainly is a tragic day," Haggart said. "I'm very proud of all the responders here today and their actions and how they handled this today. I would ask that everybody keeps the family in their thoughts as we process this tragedy."The State Fire Marshal's Office and members of the Derry Fire and Police departments are investigating the origin and cause of the explosion and fire.

An 11-year-old girl has been hospitalized with serious burns and her grandmother is dead following a house explosion in New Hampshire during Thursday's storm, according to family members of the victims.

The New Hampshire State Fire Marshal's Office confirmed one person died in Derry as a result of an explosion and fire that happened at about 11:40 a.m. Thursday at 141 Goodhue Road.

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Authorities said Derry firefighters found heavy flames coming from the single-family home when they arrived at the scene, and that they received reports of a person who was still inside the burning house.

Firefighters found one person dead in the driveway, officials said. The only other person who was in the home at the time of the explosion was transported to Parkland Medical Center in Derry and then transferred to a Boston area hospital for medical treatment.

Video from the scene shows one side of the house was blown out by the explosion. Crews were also seen working with a backhoe to clear the rubble.

Family members told NewsCenter 5 reporter John Atwater that a tree fell on a propane tank and punctured it, sparking the house explosion. The girl was home because school had been canceled because of the poor weather caused by Thursday's nor'easter.

"My niece had said that she ran out of the house. I don't think it was through a door, unfortunately," said Lauren Childs, the girl's aunt. "But she ran out of the house and was able to scream as loud as she could and flag down neighbors."

"The little girl kept saying that her grandma was in the house, so we went over toward the property yelling for grandma," a neighbor said.

Family members said the girl suffered burns to her face, hands and feet, and that she was transferred to Shriners Children's Boston, a pediatric specialty care hospital. The girl is expected to recover from her injuries, according to her family.

The girl's grandmother, who family members said recently moved into the home, did not survive the explosion.

"She's a strong little girl and it's very sad that we had to lose a family member in this storm — the freak accident and how it happened," Childs said.

The State Fire Marshal's Office said they will share the victim's name once an autopsy is conducted Friday at the New Hampshire State Medical Examiner's Office in Concord.

Derry Fire Chief Shawn Haggart said the conditions during Thursday's storm made it more difficult to extinguish the fire. Firefighters worked through the heavy snow and wind to put out the flames and contain the smoke.

"It certainly is a tragic day," Haggart said. "I'm very proud of all the responders here today and their actions and how they handled this today. I would ask that everybody keeps the family in their thoughts as we process this tragedy."

The State Fire Marshal's Office and members of the Derry Fire and Police departments are investigating the origin and cause of the explosion and fire.