SALEM, N.H. (WHDH) — Investigators say they have found a body in the basement of a condemned home in Salem, New Hampshire, that exploded Monday night and went up in flames.
“We’ve been able to locate one body in the basement of the residence,” Police Captain Joel Dolan said Tuesday. “We do not know who that person is at this time.”
The body was seen through a basement window, but police hadn’t gone inside yet due to safety concerns. Crews are in the process of securing the charred home.
Dolan said investigators found boards with nails poking through them on the property, which appear to be intended to hurt or slow anyone approaching the house.
Police say officers were initially called to the Irving Street home on a report of a neighbor dispute over firewood stacked up a against a fence.
As officers approached the house, they heard a hissing noise, followed by an explosion and an odor of gas. A neighbor reported hearing at least a dozen ammunition rounds going off.
“The fire does not look like an accident,” Dolan said of the incident.
Police say they are familiar with the man living at the home, even though the house was condemned about 18 months ago. Dolan says it’s unclear if he is the victim who was found at the scene. No one was supposed to be living in the home.
Neighbors say the man lived there for decades, and while he mostly kept to himself, he exhibited odd behavior. One person told 7News he would walk around the neighborhood carrying a gun.
Flames and smoke could be seen pouring out of the house for hours. Evacuations of multiple homes were ordered in the nearby area via a reverse 911 call.
A bomb squad has been called to the home. An investigation is ongoing.
Fire Chief Paul Parisi says the fire marshal’s office will join the investigation due to the fatality.
Police released the following images of the destructive aftermath:
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