The body of a man authorities believe is Stephen Laughton was removed from a mobile home at 39 Pheasant Road following an explosion and fire that destroyed the mobile home and damaged an adjacent home.
Maine Public safety spokesman Steve McCausland released the information Tuesday afternoon on behalf of the State Fire Marshal’s Office. McCausland said investigators believed the dead man is Laughton, but that a positive identification will come from the State Medical Examiner’s Office after further tests.
McCausland said there were several propane tanks inside the home, which could have been set off by the fire.
No one else was injured.
Bob and Kim Leclair, who live at 37 Pheasant Road, adjacent to the Laughton home, said the heat was so intense it melted the blinds inside their mobile home and some of the siding on the exterior, cracked windows and damaged a vehicle.
Pheasant Road is in the Blue Haven Mobile Home Park off US Route 1 in the general area of the Saco auto mile, about 1 1/2 miles south of Cascade Road.
Bob Leclair said he and his wife were awakened to an explosion at around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday.
”We thought it was an earthquake,” said Bob Leclair. “Then were started hearing popping noises, like fireworks.”
Within three minutes of his call to 911, the entire house was engulfed, he said, with flames coming off the eaves.
Saco Fire Chief John Duross said when firefighters arrived, the walls of the mobile home had been blown out.
Duross said firefighters were unable to access the interior of the mobile home because of concerns for structural integrity. As well, there are no hydrants in the area, and a tanker shuttle was set up to ferry water to the scene.
About 30 firefighters from Saco, Biddeford, Old Orchard Beach, Scarborough and Goodwin’s Mills fought the blaze.
— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.
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