A HOUSE has exploded into a giant fireball following the dramatic shooting of a police officer in the US.
Footage shows the house, in Brentwood, New Hampshire, erupting into flames just minutes before it exploded.
It is understood the house was the scene of a dramatic shooting just minutes earlier between a suspect and a police officer.
A SWAT team reportedly drove away from the home as the fire broke out and just minutes before it exploded.
The officer was flown to hospital in a serious condition while the suspect remains at large, NECN reported.
Police said the incident occurred on Mill Pond Road and the state police SWAT teams were at the scene at the time.
The house explodes as news crews hover overhead. Picture: Screengrab/wcvb.com Source: Supplied
Details of the incident remain unclear and police are remaining tight-lipped. However neighbour Wayne Hughes told media the homeowner is Walter Nolan, who is aged in his 80s, and lives at the property with his son Mike.
He heard an argument coming from the house and then heard gunfire, so called 911. Police ordered him into his basement before they arrived soon after to evacuate him.
Property records confirmed Nolan was the owner of the house.
Mr Hughes’ wife Susan said she saw one police officer arrive at the home and then heard “rapid gun fire” as soon as the officer entered.
“We started looking around to see what was going on, we were curious and wondering what was happening,” she said. “And then we started seeing all these cops coming.”
Before being evacuated, Susan Hughes told Seacoastonline.com she saw Walter Nolan being taken from the scene by ambulance. At the time, his son Mike was still believed to be inside the home, she said. Police did not confirm Mike Nolan’s location but did say he is not in custody.
Brentwood Selectwoman Jane Byrne confirmed an officer was shot and taken to an undisclosed hospital and that police did not know the whereabouts of the suspect involved.
Just minutes earlier the home was the scene of a dramatic shooting. Picture: Screengrab/wcvb.com Source: Supplied
Just before the explosion media crews and others close to the scene were told to move back out of concern they might be in the line of fire. An officer was heard saying there may have been a person with a long firearm in the home.
The house is in a neighbourhood for people aged 55 and over and is valued at $250,000. Police in armoured vehicles went door-to-door and told residents to stay indoors.
Debra Vasapolli, spokeswoman for Exeter Hospital, also confirmed one person was being treated but not for a gunshot wound.
Nearly a dozen fire trucks battled the blaze but the Brentwood fire chief has now confirmed the fire is out and no firefighters were injured.
The house is engulfed in flames. Picture: Screengrab/wcvb.com Source: Supplied
There were also reports on Twitter of neighbours hearing gunfire before the explosion.
More to come ...
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