Hartford Home Exploded After Burglary: Police

Police believe a burglary is behind a house explosion in Hartford early Friday morning.

Firefighters responded to 42 Winchester Street, a vacant house, at 1:30 a.m. on Friday after neighbors reported a loud bang that sounded like an explosion.

What firefighters found was just a shell of a house. The front and side walls of the home had been blown out.

As firefighters investigated, they saw just small flames coming from the dryer vent, but no significant fire.

As the investigation continued, authorities determined that a gas line had ruptured during the burglary, police said on Friday afternoon.

No one was inside the abandoned house when the explosion occurred and no one was injured.

The Hartford fire marshal's office, Connecticut Natural Gas and the state fire marshal responded and the major crimes unit is investigating.

Neighbors said the property was recently shown to potential renters, but no one has lived in it in awhile .

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