A mother and toddler suffered severe burns as neighbors helped crews dig out hydrants.
TAUNTON, Mass. — Investigators are examining a natural gas leak after an explosion and fast-moving fire destroyed a three-family home at 78 Plain St. on Feb. 25, severely burning a 25-year-old mother and her 2-year-old daughter and displacing eight residents in a snowbound neighborhood.
The blast hit just days after a major winter storm dumped more than 2 feet of snow in the city, leaving hydrants buried and streets lined with tall banks. Fire officials have said preliminary findings point to a gas leak, but investigators are still working to determine where the leak began and what ignited it. State fire investigators and local officials remained involved as the city provided temporary support for displaced residents and crews assessed damage to nearby homes.
Emergency crews were called about 9:50 a.m. and arrived to find the multiunit home fully involved, with flames pushing out and smoke visible above the street. Two adjacent houses suffered serious burn damage, and officials shut down the area for hours as firefighters worked and investigators secured the scene. Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell said early on that the city was still gathering details as responders moved between emergency care and neighborhood safety. Residents said they heard a loud boom that carried beyond the block, and some people left their homes quickly as officers urged neighbors to move away from the fire.
Fire Chief Steven P. Lavigne said the injured mother initially got out, then realized her daughter was still inside and went back in, suffering severe burns. Police Chief Edward Walsh said the mother got herself and the child out and went to a house behind the burning building, where responders located them. The mother was taken to Rhode Island Hospital with severe burns, and the child was taken to Hasbro Children’s Hospital with serious injuries. Early reports also raised concern about another person connected to the home, but authorities later said he was not inside at the time and was found a short time later.
As firefighters arrived, deep snow complicated a basic task: finding hydrants and clearing access fast enough to support the response. Neighbor William Shivers said residents grabbed shovels and joined police and firefighters, trying to locate hydrants hidden under snowbanks while the structure burned. In accounts later described by neighbors, the goal was simple and urgent: hit the hydrant cap under the snow and get water flowing. Another nearby resident, Samantha Sullivan-Hall, said the destruction was hard to process and that her family was displaced after the blast damaged the home next door. Others described the scene as surreal, with loud popping sounds coming from the burning structure as crews pushed in.
Officials said the building itself was a total loss, and three families who lived there were among those forced out. The city opened a warming center for displaced residents as the street remained crowded with emergency vehicles and heavy equipment. The response happened in a neighborhood where homes sit close together, which raised concerns about the fire spreading and about the condition of nearby structures. Business owners in the area reported disruptions as crews worked and utilities were managed to reduce hazards during debris removal.
Investigators from the state fire marshal’s office and state police assigned to fire work joined local authorities to determine the origin and cause. Fire officials have said the working theory is a natural gas leak, and they are still narrowing down the exact location of that leak and the source of ignition. Officials have not announced any criminal findings, and the case has been treated as an investigation into cause and contributing factors. In the days after the blast, officials also released video from an officer arriving at the scene, showing residents climbing over snowbanks and responders searching for hydrants while sirens approached and flames intensified.
By Sunday, the damaged building site had been reduced to debris as crews cleared the area, and nearby residents began returning to homes that were safe to occupy. Authorities said the mother and child remained hospitalized as they recovered from burns, while the wider neighborhood dealt with displacement, repairs, and lingering questions about how the leak developed. The next steps include a more detailed determination of origin and ignition, along with updates on the victims’ medical condition and the status of displaced families as they seek longer-term housing.
Author note: Last updated March 1, 2026.