14-07-2025
‘Terrible tragedy': Gov. Healey visits Fall River senior living facility after devastating fire
Gov. Maura Healey visited the heavily damaged building of a senior living facility in Fall River on Monday morning, hours after a deadly fire killed nine residents and hospitalized 30 others.
A fire broke out at about 9:30 p.m. on Sunday at the Gabriel House Assisted Living Residence, which drew nearly 50 firefighters to the scene and left a vulnerable population calling for help from their windows.
Healey visited the Oliver Street facility that housed nearly 70 residents, and she offered her condolences to the families who suffered losses.
'We lost nine folks last night in this terrible tragedy and our hearts and our sympathies are with the families,' she said.
'Many were in wheelchairs, many were immobile, many had oxygen tanks,' Healey said of the residents at the facility. 'They were severely compromised individuals in this assisted living facility, which made it all the more challenging.'
Rehousing efforts are underway for the facility residents, as well as an investigation by state authorities, according to Healey.
The Gabriel House opened in 1999 and has a total of 100 units, according to a state website. It's owned by a nonprofit.
Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon described rescue efforts as 'super labor-intensive and man-power intensive' due to the mobility issues for many of the residents.
The first firefighters at the scene saw flames coming out of the front doors and multiple residents were hanging out of the window, screaming for help, Bacon said.
Police officers also helped with rescuing residents from the building, he said.
'Typically, police don't perform that function, but they did a tremendous job last night and saved countless lives,' Bacon said.
The fire chief confirmed that there are quarterly inspections done of assisted living facilities in the city, but he would not comment on any information about the Gabriel House.
He said that smoke was 'everywhere in this building from top to bottom and left to right,' and that residents stayed in their rooms because they could not self-evacuate.
Bacon said he would not comment Monday morning on potential causes for the fire and that he wanted to remain 'as far away from speculation as we can.'
'We're, again, very early on in the investigation,' Bacon said.
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