Firefighters pulled a man from a smoke-filled home on Central Street in Stoughton Wednesday evening, and police say the investigation that followed turned up something unexpected: a gun found at the scene. The man was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
According to WHDH 7News, crews responded to the home Wednesday at approximately 6 p.m. after officials said the man was pulled from the burning building. Stoughton Fire Chief Michael Carroll told Boston 25 News that a 911 call reporting the fire came in around 5:45 p.m. When crews arrived, they found smoke pouring from the home, according to Yahoo News, which reported that fire crews located one victim inside who had suffered burn injuries before being transported to the hospital.
State Fire Investigators Called In
State police fire investigators assigned to the State Fire Marshal's office were called in to assist local fire crews, per the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services. The same report notes that it became a police investigation after a gun was found at the scene, though details about the firearm have not been released. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, the station's report states.
Police closed Central Street between Pearl Street and Station Street while the investigation continued, and officials said there was no ongoing threat to public safety, advising motorists to seek an alternate route. The man was reported to be in critical condition.
Pattern of Fires in Stoughton
Pattern of Fires in Stoughton Tuesday's blaze Wednesday's blaze is not the only serious house fire Stoughton has seen recently. A 93-year-old woman was pulled from a burning condo complex on Greenbrook Drive and flown to the hospital with serious injuries, according to WCVB, which reported that the two-alarm fire required additional support to fight. In a separate incident on Central Street, a fire involving oxygen tanks destroyed a home and a car parked outside, though everyone inside escaped safely, as reported by CBS News Boston. That outlet's report noted the cause of that fire was still unknown, even as a deputy fire chief said oxygen tanks left behind by a former occupant had caused multiple explosions. It is not established whether that earlier Central Street fire is the same incident described in Wednesday's report.
Statewide, fire deaths in Massachusetts declined in 2025 from a seven-year high recorded the year before, with more than 90 percent occurring in victims' homes, State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine said, according to Mass.gov. No further details on Wednesday's victim or the fire's cause have been released as the investigation continues.
