9 Dead, Dozens Injured After Devastating Fire at Massachusetts Assisted Living Facility

Nine people were killed Sunday night, July 13, when a fire swept through Gabriel House, an assisted living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts. First responders described a chaotic scene with residents trapped inside and pleading for help as heavy smoke filled the hallways.

Residents Trapped, Smoke Filled the Hallways

The fire broke out around 9:30 p.m., triggering multiple 911 calls. When crews arrived, they found thick smoke, flames, and dozens of elderly residents unable to escape.

“There were multiple victims hanging out the windows, screaming and begging for help and to be rescued,” Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said.

Loraine Ferrara, a resident, was pulled through her bathroom window. “I thought I was dead,” she told CNN affiliate WCVB. “I’d never seen anything like it in my life. I couldn’t breathe.” 

Another resident, Al Almanza, said he opened his door and was hit with a wall of smoke. “All that I could do was just stand there and choke,” he said. “I thought it was going to be the end of everything.” He was unable to even see the hand of the police officer who guided him to safety due to the smoke. 

Almanza, who lost both of his daughters within the past year, was emotional as he spoke to WCVB. “My whole family’s gone, and I’m alone.” 

9 Dead, Dozens Hospitalized

Authorities have confirmed the deaths of nine residents following the fire. The victims include 64-year-old Rui Albernaz, 61-year-old Ronald Codega, 69-year-old Margaret Duddy, 78-year-old Robert King, 71-year-old Kim Mackin, 78-year-old Richard Rochon, and 86-year-old Eleanor Willett. Two additional residents — a 70-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man — also died, but their names have not yet been released as officials work to notify their next of kin.

According to the district attorney, roughly 30 residents were taken to nearby hospitals for medical care, including one person who remains in critical condition.

Saint Anne’s Hospital, located just a block from Gabriel House, treated 15 patients overnight. Four were discharged, nine remained hospitalized in stable condition, and two were transferred to Rhode Island Hospital in Providence for Level One trauma care.

Charlton Memorial Hospital in New Bedford also received 28 patients, eight of whom were still under care as of Monday afternoon.

Five firefighters were also transported from the scene with what officials described as mostly minor injuries. All have since been released.

Facility Housed 70 Residents

Gabriel House, the three-story building which opened in 1999, housed about 70 residents. 

“Many were in wheelchairs. Many were immobile. Many had oxygen tanks. They were severely compromised,” Gov. Maura Healey said at a news conference Monday.

The facility’s website says it offers 24-hour staffing. By state regulation, assisted living centers in Massachusetts must have enough staff on-site to meet both emergency and daily care needs.

Investigation Ongoing

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Officials said there are no immediate signs of foul play, but the process is still in early stages.

Cleanup crews were seen boarding windows and removing residents’ belongings on Monday. Boxes containing medications were set to be discarded due to smoke contamination.

Being so early on in the investigation, Fire Chief Bacon declined to speculate on the cause. “One of the most dangerous things we can do is speculate,” he said.

Staffing Concerns Raised

Staffing shortages in the Fall River Fire Department became a key concern in the aftermath.

Edward Kelly, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said only two of the city’s 10 fire companies meet the national standard of four firefighters per unit.

“Had they been staffed properly, up to national standards, there would have been eight more firefighters effecting rescues here last night,” he said. “There’s no doubt that would have made a difference in the amount of people that we lost to this terrible fire last night, lives would have been saved.”

Fire Chief Bacon confirmed staffing has long been an issue. He said, “It’s always the goal to get back to that number.” Fall River hasn’t had full staffing per apparatus since the 1980s or 90s.

Despite the challenges, off-duty firefighters rushed to help. Michael O’Regan, president of the local Fall River firefighters’ union, described the scene:

Firefighters were overwhelmed when he arrived. Crews were torn between rescuing visible residents, searching for those they couldn’t see, and fighting the fire. Each rescue took “a significant amount of time.” Many residents were unconscious or couldn’t walk. Firefighters broke windows and used ladders, sometimes pushing out air conditioning units to get people out.

O’Regan said he and other off-duty firefighters didn’t have breathing gear. “I didn’t have time to go get the stuff, and we didn’t have any extra stuff, so we did what we had to do.” 

His brother and fellow firefighter, Frank O’Regan, arrived about 40 minutes later and was shocked to find people still trapped on the third floor.

“I couldn’t believe that after all this time, there was still a full area with people trapped,” he said. “It was awful.” It was one of the “worst loss of life” incidents he’s seen in his career. 

Michael summed up the night by saying, “We did the best we could with what we had – and what we had was not enough.”

🤔Nurses, share your thoughts in the discussion forum below.