Neighbor ‘heard a boom’ before fire that killed mom and her 2 kids, Florida cops say

A Florida family was found dead in the ashes of their gutted home, and the cause remains under investigation.

Firefighters made the discovery around 3:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, in Nassau County’s Hilliard community, according to a news release from the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office. Hilliard is about 30 miles northwest of Jacksonville.

“Investigators discovered that a mother and her two children, ages 11 and 7, had perished in the fire,” the sheriff’s office said. “At this time the state fire marshal is still investigating the cause of the fire.”

Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said the home, a double-wide trailer, was destroyed by the fire “all the way down to the beams,” according to video posted by station WTLV.

It was on Jane Lane, a dirt road in a rural part of the county along the Georgia state line.

The initial 911 call was placed by a next door neighbor, who reported she “heard a boom,” stepped out on the porch and saw indications of a fire, Leeper said.

“The father was out of town at the time. We got a hold of him and he’s on his way back,” he said. “Very sad situation. ... There’s really nothing left.”

The bodies were found in different parts of the home, he said. Both children were students at Hilliard Elementary School.

The childrens’ father was returning home after receiving news of the blaze, Leeper told WJXT.

This story was originally published October 21, 2022 at 7:31 AM with the headline "Neighbor ‘heard a boom’ before fire that killed mom and her 2 kids, Florida cops say."