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AFR: Man injured in NE ABQ explosion dies; fire was 'deliberately set'
An investigator looks through the debris of a home that was completely destroyed on Nov. 23.
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A fire that killed a 60-year-old man in northeast Albuquerque last week was set deliberately, Albuquerque Fire Rescue spokesperson Lt. Jason Fejer said in a news release on Monday.
In an email, Fejer said he had not heard anything about any suspects or "any other agencies investigating."
Sometime on the night of Nov. 23, New Mexico Gas Company received a call of a strong odor of gas in the 1000 block of Walker NE. As a technician was assessing the property, Fejer said, a nearby home "exploded, resulting in extensive structural damage" at around 10:30 p.m.
Firefighters responded and found Michael Nissen, who was removed and taken to University of New Mexico Hospital. He was later airlifted to a burn center in Arizona, UNMH spokesperson Chris Ramirez said.
Nissen died from his injuries, Fejer said.
"During fire suppression and scene examination, investigators documented multiple interior gas line that have been intentionally altered, along with a message written on an interior wall," Fejer said.
It is unclear what the message said.
"Based on these observations and collected evidence, investigators determined that the incident was deliberately set and classified this as incendiary," he said. "However, due to the extent of the damage and the absence of witnesses, the specific ignition source and intent remains undetermined."
The explosion also damaged a neighbor's home and left piles of debris all around.
Fejer said the New Mexico Gas Company detected no leaks and readings surrounding the involved property were negative.
