Piping tampered with in basement of Canton house explosion

CANTON, Ohio - Investigators at the scene of a Canton house explosion say it appears as though piping in the basement was tampered with.

The house on Weiler Court near 7th Street NE in Canton burst into flames Wednesday night. The home’s residents were not home at the time and no one was injured.

Battalion Chief Akbar Bennett said crews noticed blue flames when they arrived and firefighters were careful not to extinguish the flames until the utilities were disconnected.

Canton fire and Dominion East Ohio Gas investigators continued to sift through the house on Thursday. Fire officials said the house has not been torn down, but it would not taken much effort to knock down the remaining parts. The house is “absolutely not” salvageable, according to investigators.

Following the explosion, Dominion workers went down the street, checking each curb stop. The resident, Riley Philips, told NewsChannel5 that crews were working on the gas lines in the area the week before.

"God got my back and my front too. I could have been like done. Toasted," Philips said.