House explosion kills 1 in Manchester, N.H.

Authorities search rubble for cause

Firefighters at the scene of a house explosion yesterday morning in Manchester, N.H., that killed an 85-year-old man. (Jim Cole/ Associated Press)

MANCHESTER, N.H. - A fiery blast destroyed a home early yesterday morning and killed an 85-year-old man in the fourth house explosion in New England since December.

Firefighters called to 160 Barrett St. at about 2:45 a.m. found the house engulfed in "a huge ball of flame" that could be seen at least four blocks away, said District Fire Chief Al Poulin. The blast splintered the home, leaving behind rubble reminiscent of bombed-out buildings during wartime. The only things left standing were a brick fireplace and a brick three-step stoop rising to the empty space once occupied by the front door.

Fire Chief James Burkush said no natural gas leaks were found in the area, "so we're concentrating on the inside of the building looking for a cause right now."

Firefighters found the victim in a rear bedroom "still in his bedding," Poulin said. The victim's name has not officially been released. Neighbors identified him as Joseph Byk.

Florence Boisse, who moved to the Barrett Street area in 1957, said Byk had lived there since 1956. She said he had just celebrated his birthday. Boisse said Byk was "a well-liked gentleman," who was active in his church, carefully tended his flowers and vegetable garden, and would take care of her flowers if she went away. He was energetic, in excellent health, and outgoing, she said.

Byk is the father of Joseph Byk Jr., a selectman in Peterborough, N.H., who rushed to Manchester when he learned of the explosion. The son was "very distraught," said Peterborough's town administrator, Pamela Brenner.

"Our hearts and prayers go out to Joe at this very moment," Brenner said.

Natural gas crews have not had any recent calls about leaks, repairs, or equipment upgrades in the neighborhood, according to David Graves, National Grid spokesman. "It's been a couple of years since the last time there was any work done in this neighborhood," he said.

Neighbors did not report smelling gas prior to the explosion, and no gas leaks were detected after the blast.

"It's a mystery," Graves said.

A 6-inch stainless steel natural gas supply line is buried beneath the street near Byk's home, he said.

Chris Wyman, an investigator with the New Hampshire state fire marshal's office, said the investigation was still in the preliminary stages.

"Nothing has been ruled in or out," Wyman said. "Everything is on the table . . . We haven't drawn any conclusions."

The explosion rattled the city's North End neighborhood.

"I heard the explosion, and it was just in a matter of minutes the house was engulfed in flames. It was unbelievable how quickly it went up," said Constantina Papanicolau, who lives a few doors down on Barrett Street. "There were just ashes everywhere and embers flying everywhere."

Byk lived alone after his wife died five years ago, Papanicolau said. describing him as a quiet man who liked to garden and took great care of a purple hydrangea.

On Thursday, an apparent natural gas explosion in Somerset, Mass., killed Rose Marie Rebello, 62, and her dog. The blast leveled Rebello's home and forced 200 neighbors to evacuate. Utility crews had responded to the neighborhood for reports of a strong gas odor. Officials have not released the cause of the blast, but investigators are examining part of the gas main buried beneath the street in front of Rebello's home.

In December, a man died in a home in Scituate in a natural gas explosion. Last month, a man was severely injured in Gloucester when a natural gas explosion leveled his home.

Martin Finucane and Andrew Ryan of the Globe staff and Globe correspondent Michele Richinick contributed to this report.