A survivor of a fire that ravaged an assisted living facility in Massachusetts on Sunday has alleged that staff deserted the site, leaving elderly residents to handle the situation on their own. Another asserted that workers failed to knock on doors to inform seniors as the flames advanced.

Resident Lorraine Ferrara, aged 70, expressed to the Associated Press her disbelief upon witnessing staff fleeing from the fire. The incident resulted in the loss of 9 lives and left many others injured at Gabriel House in Fall River.

“They left us alone and ran,” Ferrara said. “I was hanging out the window — ‘Help! Help!’ — and they just kept running.”

Michael Pimentel, a resident at Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, is being aided by an emergency medical worker outside a temporary shelter on July 14, 2025, following the late Sunday fire. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

About 50 firefighters responded to the scene at around 9:50 p.m., 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.

Edward Kelly, president of the national firefighters union, said eight additional firefighters would have been on scene if national staffing recommendations were followed.

Capt. Frank O’Reagan said there was no breathing equipment available when he arrived, so he started going door to door on the third floor without an air tank until the smoke got to him.

O’Reagan’s brother and fellow firefighter Michael O’Reagan said he was shocked that 40 minutes after firefighters arrived, a large part of the building had not been searched.

“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.

A fire broke out at the Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts on Sunday, July 13, 2025. Nine people were killed and more than 30 were injured.  (WPRI)

The cause of the fire is still under investigation. Officials said it did not appear suspicious, 

Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon told Boston 25 News that staffing levels is not unique to Fall River and that municipalities across the Commonwealth face similar concerns.

“The crews were faced with an incredibly difficult situation. A fire is a difficult situation, a rescue is a difficult situation,” Bacon said. “When you combine the two at the level this call asked for, it was almost an impossible situation.”