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.