A tragic incident unfolded Sunday night at an assisted living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, where a blaze claimed the lives of nine residents, with another in critical condition. As reported by NBC Boston, the fire broke out around 9:30 p.m. at the Gabriel House Assisted Living Residence. Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon, revealed at a Monday press conference that over 30 individuals were taken to hospitals and numerous residents were rescued via ladders amidst a scene dominated by heavy smoke rather than large flames.
Chief Bacon described the event as "an unfathomable tragedy," according to CBS News. He stated, "We had every firefighter on duty in the city was here. We had multiple firefighters off duty that were recalled, that got up here quick enough to affect those rescues." In the immediate aftermath, approximately 70 residents of the facility were unaccounted for, with a family notification center set up at St. Anne's Hospital in response to the emergency.
The effort to quell the inferno and perform rescues was a comprehensive one, with Fall River Fire, Police, and EMS departments credited with saving "multiple lives." A dozen rescues were conducted using ladders in an intense operation that saw both residents and five firefighters sustain injuries. Fortunately, the firefighters' injuries were non-life-threatening and they have since been released from the hospital.
While the cause of the fire is currently under investigation by various agencies—including the Fall River Fire Department, the Fall River Police, and the state police assigned to the State Fire Marshal's Office and the Bristol District Attorney's Office—the full extent of the fire was contained to one wing of the building. However, smoke damage was reported throughout the premises. Mayor Paul Coogan assured the public that the building was equipped with sprinklers, but it was not clear if the alarms were functioning at the time of the fire. "Smoke kills more people than fire does, every day in America. I think the lesson that can be learned here is that listen to your smoke detectors and react, because smoke is a very deadly force," Bacon added to CBS News.
As the city grapples with the loss, families seeking information have been directed to the chapel of St. Anne's Hospital or to call 508-674-5741. The Gabriel House, according to its website and Mass.gov, housed 100 single-bed units, with approximately 70 residents before the fire took its dreadful toll.
