Taunton Community Rallies to Support Families After Devastating House Explosion

Local restaurant donates 20% of sales to help families who lost everything in the blast

Published on Mar. 8, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

In Taunton, Massachusetts, the community is coming together to support the families impacted by a devastating house explosion that occurred nearly two weeks ago. The Home Plate Bay Street Grill is donating 20% of its sales this weekend to the affected families, while a local resident has organized a fundraising raffle at the restaurant to further assist those who lost everything in the blast.

Why it matters

The house explosion on Plain Street left a three-family home burned to the ground, with a 25-year-old mother and her 2-year-old daughter sustaining life-threatening injuries. The tragedy has shaken the close-knit Taunton community, prompting neighbors and local businesses to rally around the displaced families and help them rebuild their lives.

The details

Investigators believe the explosion was caused by a natural gas leak. The blast destroyed the three-family home, leaving the residents with nothing. While the mother and child were seriously injured, the other residents were not home at the time. A local resident, Taylor Brewer, organized a fundraising raffle at the Home Plate Bay Street Grill to support the affected families, and the restaurant is also donating 20% of its sales this weekend to the cause.

  • The house explosion occurred on February 25, 2026.
  • The fundraising efforts at the Home Plate Bay Street Grill are taking place this weekend.

The players

Home Plate Bay Street Grill

A local restaurant in Taunton, Massachusetts that is donating 20% of its sales this weekend to support the families affected by the devastating house explosion.

Courtney Draper

The manager of the Home Plate Bay Street Grill, who is overseeing the fundraising efforts for the families.

Taylor Brewer

A local resident who organized a fundraising raffle at the Home Plate Bay Street Grill to further assist the displaced families.

Lucitha Blanc

A 25-year-old mother who was seriously injured, along with her 2-year-old daughter, in the house explosion.

Sara Donovan

A resident who lived on the top floor of the destroyed home and lost all of her belongings, but is grateful that everyone survived the blast.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Whatever you buy, we give back 20% of your check to the actual families. We care about the community and it was very tragic what happened with the fire and explosion, we just want to help.”

— Courtney Draper, Manager, Home Plate Bay Street Grill

“I'm a neighbor of theirs, I witnessed everything from the beginning to end, and I just wanted to, how can I jump in to help? So this is it.”

— Taylor Brewer, Local Resident

“They're all genuine good people. I cannot stress enough how good of people they are. They did not deserve this.”

— Taylor Brewer, Local Resident

“Stuff can be replaced, which is good. I'm just glad that everyone's OK, everyone's alive.”

— Sara Donovan, Displaced Resident

“It's beautiful to see the community come together. Especially like the time of the world and stuff like that. It's just nice to be able to see that the kindness is still there and the humanity is still there.”

— Sara Donovan, Displaced Resident

What’s next

The community is continuing to rally around the affected families as they work to rebuild their lives and recover from the devastating explosion.

The takeaway

The Taunton community's swift and compassionate response to support the families who lost everything in the house explosion demonstrates the power of a tight-knit community to come together and uplift one another during times of crisis.