Salina ? An explosion and fire early Wednesday killed a 75-year-old woman and destroyed four townhouses.

Investigators worked Wednesday afternoon to determine the cause of the fire at the townhouses near the Salina Municipal Golf Course.

“It was obvious that on dispatch there was a report of an explosion, so we’re investigating it from that angle,” Salina Fire Chief Darrell Eastin said.

The explosion and fire killed Mary Ann Schnepf, a longtime volunteer and the box office manager for the Salina Community Theater.

Nancy Hampton, a resident in one of the townhouses, said she was awake but still in bed about 6:50 a.m. when she heard the explosion.

“At first, I thought it was a thunder clap,” Hampton said. “Then, I heard voices calling.”

She said she could hear the woman who lived next door calling for help. Hampton grabbed a robe and ran outside to see the unit next to hers fully engulfed.

Authorities said it took Salina fire units two to three hours to fight the blaze, which reportedly had flames shooting up to 50 feet.

Eastin said a preliminary investigation pointed to some type of explosion as the cause of the blaze.

At the height of the blaze about 30 firefighters were at the scene.

“This is a major fire for us,” Eastin said.