TAUNTON, Mass. — Body camera footage released by Taunton police on Thursday shows the frantic moments when first responders arrived to find the Plain Street home engulfed in flames after an explosion on Wednesday.
Police and firefighters can be seen frantically searching for hidden fire hydrants. Monday’s blizzard dumped so much snow in Taunton that every fire hydrant on the street was buried.
The officer capturing the body camera footage at one point asks neighbors if they knew where any hydrants were.
William Shivers can be seen wearing a white hoodie in the footage, jumping into action from his home across the street from the explosion.
After ushering some neighbors away from the fire, he began searching with the police for fire hydrants with shovels.
“I just started banging into the snowbanks,” he told Boston 25 Thursday night as he watched the footage for the first time with reporter Daniel Coates. “I wanted to hear a ‘thunk.’ If I hear a ‘thunk’, that means there is one.”
He added, “It could’ve been my house. It could’ve been anybody’s house, you know. We were that close to, like, death.”
Officers can be seen thanking Shivers as fire crews arrived on scene to extinguish the blaze.
“Thinking about it now, it’s a lot,” he said. “It could’ve been anybody. Anybody could’ve done it. There’s nothing special about what I did.”
After working on Thursday, Shivers is now staying in his home for the first time since the blast.
He finished, “It’s going to be a long night. But, I think I’ll be ok.”
Boston 25 News learned Thursday that preliminary evidence suggests the explosion was due to a natural gas leak.
Neighbors shared photos showing the destruction inside their own home, which was also heavily damaged by the explosion and fire. Firefighters and police rushed to the scene, pushing people back as the structure continued to burn.
25‑year‑old Lucitha Blanc suddenly realized her two‑year‑old daughter, Janelle, was still inside.
Both mother and daughter were rushed to a Rhode Island hospital. Family members say they each require surgery but are expected to recover.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, though relatives believe a gas leak may be to blame.
Shnider Germilus, the boyfriend of Lucitha Blanc and father to Jenelle, told Boston 25 Thursday night that both are responsive and stable in Rhode Island hospitals.
A GoFundMe for the family has been started.
If you would like to donate: Fundraiser for Shnider Germilus by Jillian Fitts: Support for Family After Apartment Fire
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