Gas leak caused house explosion that seriously injured mother and child in Massachusetts

Firefighters in Taunton, Massachusetts say a natural gas leak is the cause of a house explosion that left a mother and her child with potentially life-threatening burns. The home on Plain Street exploded around 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning and damaged two homes on either side.

"I can just say, you will never know until you are actually in the situation, but it's fight or flight," said Jacinda Jones, a tenant living with her family in the home next door on Plain Street. "My son and my partner were in the living room sitting on the couch when we just heard an explosion and our living room window burst open and glass flew."

Jones and her family quickly ran from the house and into their car to drive away.

"We moved the blind back, and we instantly just saw the house was engulfed in flames and smoke," Jones said. "As soon as you walked into the dining room, you felt the heat. You knew we couldn't last one more second inside there."

Inside that exploded home were Jones's good friend Lucitha Blanc and her two-year-old Jenelle. The 25-year-old escaped with her daughter, but not before they suffered what police call life threatening burns.

"The last thing I heard yesterday is that they were both doing OK. Hopefully, I will learn some more later," says Jones.

Taunton Fire said Thursday the blast was the result of a natural gas leak and "no foul play is suspected." Eversource crews were on hand on Thursday assessing the property and digging through rubble. 

Due to the catastrophic damage caused by the explosion and subsequent fire, the fire department says the exact location of that leak and the cause of ignition remain under investigation.

"Everything is completely gone and ruined throughout the whole house," said Jones. "We went back for an hour to get some clothes or shoes to see what we could get, not much."

The community has stepped up with donations and online fundraisers for the families who have been impacted. It's helping Jacinda stay positive.

"You know it sucks, it's a part of life, and I just got to pull my boots up and keep moving forward. We're just starting all over from zero with nothing," said Jones.

Thankfully, they have a place to stay as they wait to see what their future holds.