House explosion, fire leaves man dead in Melville

Homicide and arson detectives are investigating an early morning explosion and house fire Tuesday in Melville where a resident was found dead.

Suffolk County police have not released the identity of the man and said the cause of death will be determined pending an autopsy by the medical examiner.

Fire officials said neighbors reported seeing dogs outside the home on Wilmington Drive on Christmas Day, but it was unclear when the elderly homeowner was last seen.

It was also unclear if the man had suffered a medical episode before the fire — or if he was killed in the blaze. Police said foul play is not suspected.

The fire was reported in a 911 call at 4:39 a.m., police said.

Melville Fire Department First Assistant Chief Donald Barclay said first responders found a shed behind the house on fire that then exploded suddenly, setting the house ablaze. 

Within seconds, Barclay said, the one-story ranch home was engulfed and, soon after, the roof collapsed, making entry into the home impossible.

"There were oil tanks and propane behind the house and so we're concerned about that," Barclay said. "Because of the tank that blew, there's a big body of fire everywhere and then, because of that, the roof collapses." 

Barclay said firefighters were on scene for about 20 minutes when neighbors mentioned they had seen the homeowner's dogs outside the home on Christmas. It wasn't until after the fire was extinguished and the home combed through that the victim was found, officials said.

Firefighters from Melville, Deer Park, Wyandanch, East Farmingdale, Huntington Manor, Greenlawn, Dix Hills and several Nassau departments, including Plainview and Farmingdale, responded to the scene. Barclay said about 100 firefighters responded.

"It's sad," Barclay said of the fatality. "Nobody wants that."

The fire is the latest in a rash of blazes that marred the Christmas weekend.

Three Christmas Eve blazes destroyed homes in Hicksville, Oceanside and Central Islip, displacing at least five families, according to the American Red Cross.

There were no reported injuries in those fires, officials said.

Earlier in the week, police and fire officials said one man was killed in a fire that destroyed a home on Ninth Street in Hicksville on Thursday.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”