Nine individuals lost their lives and many others were injured in a blaze at an assisted-living facility in Massachusetts. Questions immediately arose about the adequacy of the firefighter response and whether the facility’s staff acted appropriately during the emergency.
Here’s a look what to know about the blaze, its victims, and how authorities and residents have reacted in the aftermath.
What is known about the fire
Firefighters arrived at Gabriel House in Fall River, located roughly 50 miles south of Boston, around 9:50 p.m. on Sunday. Upon arrival, they encountered intense smoke and flames at the front entrance of the building.
The fire left residents trapped inside; some resorted to shouting for help from the windows, according to authorities on Monday. Over 30 people sustained injuries.
About 50 firefighters responded to the scene, including 30 who were off-duty. Police also helped break down doors and carried about a dozen residents to safety. Five injured firefighters were released from the hospital Monday. The origin and cause of the blaze are under investigation with the Bristol County district attorney’s office saying Monday that the cause “does not appear to be suspicious.”
What is known about the Gabriel House
The Gabriel House is an assisted living facility that opened in 1999 and has 100 units, according to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging and Independence. The facility’s website promotes studio apartments “for those seniors who cannot afford the high end of assisted living” as well as group adult foster care within walking distance of shopping, restaurants and churches.
Those who live in studio apartments solo pay from $1,850 to $2,400 per month depending on their level of services, according to the website. The residence also offers a basic living plan that includes shared studio apartments but doesn’t specify a price.
“If an emergency occurs, no matter the time, there will be someone ready to help,” the website states.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey at a news conference described the facility’s residents as a vulnerable population with many in wheelchairs and having oxygen tanks.
Those who died ranged in age from 61 to 86.
Dennis Etzkorn, the facility’s owner, declined to comment Monday, but officials said he was cooperating with what Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon called “a very extensive investigation.”
Tension over fire response
A firefighters union said inadequate staffing hindered the response to the blaze and contributed to the death toll. One fire captain said no breathing equipment was available when he arrived, so he searched door to door without an air tank until the smoke got to him.
“We did the best we could with what we had, and what we had was not enough,” said Michael O’Reagan, president of the Fall River firefighters union.
Mayor Paul Coogan said the fire department is staffed based on the recommendation from the fire chief.
“You couldn’t have had enough people here to save everybody that needed help last night,” Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said.
Meanwhile, several residents praised firefighters and police for heroic rescue efforts but said staff members did little to help.
Fall River has struggled economically
With about 94,000 residents, Fall River is the state’s 10th-largest city and one of its poorest.
The blue-collar community in southern Massachusetts was once a global center for textile manufacturing, but as the industry slumped, economic hardship and a population decline followed. Recent decades have seen some new development and investment.
In 2021, former Mayor Jasiel Correia was convicted in a corruption trial and sentenced to six years in prison in 2021.
Gabriel House is located in a dense neighborhood of mostly three-story apartment buildings just south of Kennedy Park, the city’s largest park.
Head cook Paul Ferreira said the people at the facility had long struggled to find affordable housing.
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Contributors to this report include Associated Press writers Michael Casey and Kimberlee Kruesi in Fall River, Massachusetts, Patrick Whittle in Scarborough, Maine, and Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire.
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