New Hampshire

Father and Son Escape NH Home After Explosion, Fire Cause Severe Damage

Video of the home on School Street in Hampstead, New Hampshire, shows the home practically in pieces, with parts of siding and other materials spread all over the lawn

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A New Hampshire man woke up Friday morning to an explosion and fire at his house in Hampstead.

Nathan Close, who lives on School Street, says he was sleeping when the explosion happened, but he woke quickly. His son and their dog were in the other room.

"He just kept yelling for me, 'Dad! Get out! Get out!'" Close said. "All the debris was falling all over me when I was in the bed."

The blast knocked Close's home off its foundation, blowing out walls, ripping siding off and sending his garage door flying across the street into his neighbor's yard. Fire crews arrived at the home around 7 a.m., finding flames and smoke coming from the home and debris all over the place.

The father, son and pet all made it safely out of the home. The office of New Hampshire Fire Marshal Sean Toomey said firefighters helped the residents escape the home.

"Nobody really got hurt," Close said. "My son got a couple of scrapes on him. He actually got blown from the kitchen into the dining room."

Firefighters said they were shocked no one was seriously injured.

Authorities suspect that a propane leak called the blast. The fire marshal's office and the Hampstead Fire Department are investigating the cause of the explosion.

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