CHARLTON — At approximately 12:28 a.m. on June 6, 2025, a Charlton Police officer on patrol near Route 20 and Gillespie Road heard a loud explosion and observed flames in the air. The officer radioed the incident to Charlton Police Communications, and shortly after, the department began receiving numerous calls from residents reporting the same.
According to a statement from the Charlton Police Department, the officer quickly located the source of the explosion: a commercial building and several vehicles on fire at 13 Griffin Road, identified as the XNG Natural Gas facility. Additional officers and Charlton Fire Department personnel responded to the scene and began containment and mitigation efforts.
Preliminary findings indicate that three vehicles and the commercial building sustained heavy fire damage. Investigators believe a large commercial compressed natural gas tank on one of the vehicles was compromised, causing a significant explosion. Due to the scale of the incident, the Charlton Fire Department initiated a third-alarm response, drawing mutual aid from surrounding communities.
The fire was eventually brought under control by the Charlton Fire Department and its mutual aid partners. The scene was cleared at approximately 6:15 a.m.
The Massachusetts State Police Fire and Explosion Investigation Section, Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad, Massachusetts State Police Crime Scene Services Section, Massachusetts District 7 Fire Investigation Unit, and the Charlton Police Department are continuing to investigate the remaining facts and circumstances of the incident.
As of this release, no injuries have been reported.
