Cause of Interfaith Terrace Framingham Apartment Fire That Killed Leyla Mendieta, 49, Nethalya Samaniego, 23, Remains Under Investigation
FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS (December 12, 2025) – A mother identified as Leyla Mendieta and her daughter identified as Nethalya Samaniego have tragically died days apart in a Framingham apartment fire.
Middlesex County officials are saying that the incident took place on November 30. Firefighters were called to the apartment located at 33 Interfaith Terrace.
They found Leyla Mendieta and Nethalya Samaniego unresponsive on the second floor of the building. The two women were extricated from the building, received CPR, and transported to a hospital in Boston.
The mother’s husband and twin 13-year-old daughters were able to escape from the fire. Despite life-saving measures, Leyla Mendieta died at the hospital on December 3.
Tragically, Nethalya Samaniego has also recently died due to the severity of her injuries. Authorities believe that the fire may have accidentally started in the living room of the apartment.
But there is no word yet on what the exact cause may have been. You can help support the family of the victim through GoFundMe.
According to the online fundraiser, “Their family is facing overwhelming medical, housing, and basic-needs expenses as they try to cope with this tragedy. We are asking for support to help them replace essentials, cover emergency costs, and stay close to their loved ones during this difficult time.”
Liability for Apartment Fires in Massachusetts
Property owners in Massachusetts have a legal obligation to maintain their premises in a reasonably safe condition. When a property owner has actual or constructive notice that their premises is in a dangerous condition, they must take action. Landlords that fail to take action could be held liable in a negligence claim if an apartment tenant is injured or killed in a fire. Apartment owners must also abide by all fire and safety codes.
There are several steps that apartment owners should take to protect their tenants from fires.
- Life-Safety Systems: Apartments must have functional smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors when required. Fire extinguishers should also be placed in common areas and serviced annually.
- Electrical Systems: Apartment owners should perform routine electrical inspections on all of their electrical systems. They should also have their HVAC, boilers, and water heaters regularly serviced by licensed professionals.
- Building Conditions: Every apartment should have clear and unobstructed exits. There should not be any storage in hallways or other areas that people may use to escape from a fire.
Residential fires are often highly complex events. There might be numerous sources of liability for any particular apartment fire. This may include the company that manufactured a device with lithium-ion batteries.
For example, a large number of apartment fires are started by scooters and other commercial products with lithium-ion batteries. In New York alone, over 800 fires have been sparked by products with lithium-ion batteries since 2022.
Steps to Take After Framingham Apartment Fires
Several steps should be taken after any apartment fire results in injury or death.
- Medical Treatment: Victims should seek medical treatment as soon as possible. Many of the injuries associated with a residential fire will not be immediately obvious. In particular, smoke inhalation can cause major damage to a person’s lungs and nervous system.
- Evidence Preservation: When possible, all of the evidence related to the source of the fire should be carefully collected and preserved. This can help paint a clear picture of what may have caused the fire in the first place.
- Maintenance Records: All of the maintenance records for an apartment that caught fire should be carefully scrutinized. It is possible that an apartment had clear safety defects that were overlooked by a landlord.
- Independent Legal Review: Any person affected by an apartment fire should seek the guidance of a legal team with experience in premises liability claims. They can help identify all liable parties and take steps to preserve evidence and the rights of victims.
The vast majority of apartment fires are preventable. Even if a residential fire is not preventable, there should still be many safety measures in place to help the victims of these fires escape. Unfortunately, landlords may fail to maintain key safety systems like smoke alarms and fire exits. This is why it is so important that all apartment fires are independently investigated. The family of any person who died in a Massachusetts apartment fire may be able to seek some measure of transparency and accountability through a wrongful death claim.
Prevalence of Apartment Fires – 2019-2023 Statistics
Residential fires remain a leading cause of serious injury and death across Massachusetts and the United States. According to the National Fire Protection Association,
“US fire departments responded to an estimated average of 328,590 home structure fires per year. These fires caused an annual average of 2,600 civilian deaths; 10,770 civilian fire injuries; and $8.9 billion in direct property damage.”
Is it Possible to Sue for an Apartment Fire Death?
Suing for an apartment fire injury or death is possible in Massachusetts.
We at DiBella Law extend our deepest condolences to the family of Leyla Mendieta and Nethalya Samaniego. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong so that similar tragedies can be prevented in the future. Several questions remain unanswered at this time. What was the potential source of the fire? When was the last time this building was properly inspected by the fire department? Was this apartment compliant with all fire and safety codes?
If you need more information about a Framingham apartment fire, our team of premises liability attorneys are here for you. We are committed to helping accident victims understand their rights and protecting those rights through skilled advocacy. Whether you just have legal questions or need any other type of assistance, we are here to serve your needs. You can contact us anytime for a free, independent investigation into any particular incident by calling (617) 870-0907.