Hill-Skeffington Funeral Home expects to reopen its rebuilt location at 822 Main St. in East Greenwich soon, nearly two years after a fire destroyed the historic building, WJAR reported. The planned facility would add several services and more space for families.
A larger facility, with approvals still to clarify
Plans reported by East Greenwich News call for three chapels that could host services at the same time, a pet-cremation business, a commercial transfer facility and an underground garage designed to expand vehicle storage from four vehicles to 12.
The proposed pet service would join other kinds of pet aftercare in the area. In Providence, WPRI reported that Nature’s Pawprint offers water-based aquamation, a method distinct from flame-based cremation.
Rhode Island’s crematory application packet says the Department of Health and the Board of Embalming and Funeral Directing conduct the state licensure process. The state DEM says its Office of Air Resources issues permits for stationary sources that emit pollutants into outdoor air above permitting thresholds.
Rebuilding after the 2025 fire
The fire began early on Feb. 2, 2025. A fire marshal spokesperson said it was accidental and started in the fireplace and chimney area, according to WJAR. Funeral director David Ucci Jr. entered the burning building after consulting emergency personnel to recover the remains of four people being held there, the station reported. The structure could not be saved and was demolished, according to East Greenwich News.
The business continued serving families from a temporary East Greenwich location and through partnerships, East Greenwich News reported.
A separate fire-damaged funeral home offers a limited comparison, not evidence of a broader trend. In Elizabethtown, New York, WCAX reported in April 2025 that the Heidrick Funeral Home’s owners planned to keep serving customers from alternative locations while rebuilding after a fire. Hill-Skeffington likewise maintained services through other locations and borrowed space as its East Greenwich building was replaced.
