Latest news with #DennisEtzkorn
CBS News
4 hours ago
- CBS News
Watch Live: Fall River, Massachusetts fire chief update on deadly assisted living fire
There's no word yet on what caused the tragic deadly fire at the Gabriel House assisted living home in Fall River, Massachusetts. Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon will have an update at 1 p.m. Tuesday on the investigation. You can watch it live on CBS News Boston in the video above. Nine residents, all over the age of 60, were killed in the fire Sunday night. Thirty were hurt and one remained in critical condition Tuesday. Bristol County District Attorney Tom Quinn said the cause "does not appear to be suspicious at this time." The owner of Gabriel House, Dennis Etzkorn, said he's cooperating with authorities and told the Boston Globe he will "provide them with any information they may need." Investigators are looking at several possible issues that may have made fighting the fire and saving residents more difficult. Bacon said air conditioners in the windows were obstructions for firefighters during the rescues. Resident Lorraine Ferrara said when she walked into the hallway during the fire she was hit by hot water from the sprinkler system. She went back into her room and later was saved by a firefighter who broke a window and got her out onto a ladder. "She didn't hear any smoke detectors" Bill Perlo's sister has lived in Gabriel House for 17 years. She told him the sprinklers did go off during the fire, but there were no smoke detectors. She was saved from her basement room by a firefighter. "She didn't hear any smoke detectors. That's the one thing, the common thing I heard when I was talking to all the people yesterday. If that was the case, maybe someone should look into that," Perlo told reporters Tuesday. Some residents told WBZ-TV Monday they heard alarms in the hallways, but not the rooms, during the fire. The alarms were heard in the background during a news conference Monday morning, hours after the fire. However, Bacon told reporters he didn't know if they were working at the time of the fire. WBZ has reached out to Etzkorn for comment on the sprinklers, smoke detectors and staffing at the home on the night of the fire, but he has not yet responded. Fall River Fire Department staffing The firefighters' union said Monday that the Fall River Fire Department was understaffed. Edward Kelly, the general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters said there would have been eight more firefighters at the scene if they had been staffed properly. Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said the city staffs the department to the number the fire chief requests. The National Fire Protection Association recommends four firefighters per company. The union said most Fall River companies operate with three. However, the President of the Massachusetts Fire Chiefs' Association said many departments across the state struggle to meet that ideal standard.
DW
9 hours ago
- General
- DW
Massachusetts fire kills 9 care home residents – DW – 07/14/2025
The fire trapped residents inside, triggering a rescue operation in what officials are calling an 'unfathomable tragedy.' The facility housed lower income seniors in one of the poorest cities of Massachussetts. A fire at a care home facility in the US state of Massachusetts killed 9 residents and left some 30 others injured, local authorities said on Monday. The incident took place on Sunday at 9:50 p.m local time (02:50 UTC/GMT) at the Gabriel House facility in the community of Fall River, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of the city of Boston. Fall River is one of the poorest cities in the state of Massachusetts with some 94,000 residents. Flames and smoke spread through the facility, trapping residents inside, some of which were found leaning out of windows and screaming for help, authorities said Monday. The city opened a temporary shelter to assist the surviving residents. Some 50 firefighters responded to the scene, including 30 who were off-duty. They were met with heavy smoke and flames in the front portion of the building. Authorities had to break down doors to rescue a dozen residents. Five firefighters were injured during the operation. "This is an unfathomable tragedy for the families involved and the Fall River community," Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said. The origin and cause of the fire are unknown and now being investigated. According to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging & Independence, the Gabriel House opened in 1999 and has 100 units. The facility promotes studio apartments "for those seniors who cannot afford the high end of assisted living" as well as group adult foster care, according to the website. It is located within walking distance of shopping, restaurants and churches. Facility owner Dennis Etzkorn did not comment on the fire but according to authorities, he is cooperating with the investigation. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has offered state assistance to the Fall River community and gave her condolences to the families of those who died, while also thanking first respondents for their work. "Right now, the first order of business is to make sure we're assisting the city in every way possible in rehousing what is a vulnerable population," Healey said. "All of these people need assistance. As you saw, many were in wheelchairs, many were immobile, many had oxygen tanks," she added.
CBS News
19 hours ago
- CBS News
The past legal controversies of the owner of the Fall River assisted care facility that caught fire
The owner of Gabriel House, Dennis Etzkorn, says he is cooperating with the investigation into the deadly fire at the assisted living home in Fall River, but an I-Team investigation revealed past legal controversies. The fire tore through the building on Sunday night, killing nine and sending 30 more to the hospital. One resident remains in critical condition. Residents who survived the fire called it a "nightmare" and said they thought they were going to die. Debbie Johnson has worked at Gabriel House for four years. "They have cockroaches, infested with cockroaches, bed bugs. It was dirty. They're so nice. They don't deserve to live in those quarters. " The I-Team learned that the Gabriel House is owned by Gabriel Care, Inc. Secretary of State records show Etzkorn is the president, treasurer, and secretary of the corporation. The home has 100 units and opened in 1999, according to Its last building certificate was issued in October of 2024. The Gabriel House owner past legal controversies Etzkorn also owns other healthcare-related businesses in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. And has been involved in legal controversies over the years. In 2010, he was sued by a female employee who claimed discrimination. He was ordered to pay her more than $15,000. In 2012, the Attorney General indicted him on a kickback scheme involving Medicaid; the charges were later dropped after a judge found the evidence was obtained illegally. In 2014, Charlie Baker's campaign returned donations from Etzkorn. And in 2017, he faced criminal charges in connection with sanitary cold violations in connection with another property in Fall River. Those charges were later dismissed. In a statement to the Boston Globe, Etzkorn said, "I, along with my entire family, am devastated by the tragedy at Gabriel House. Our thoughts are with every one of our residents, their families, our staff, and the brave first responders. I am grateful for the support the city of Fall River has shown to everyone affected by this tragedy. We will continue to cooperate with the authorities and provide them with any information they may need throughout the investigative process regarding the cause and origin of this fire." "Their population has become more like a nursing home" Paul Lanzikos is the executive director of Dignity Alliance, an advocacy group. He says it's a tragedy that could have likely been avoided. Avoided because Dignity Alliance has been sounding the alarm about assisted living homes for years. Paul says, "Their population has become more like a nursing home, yet they don't have the same regulations or oversight." The homes are required to be certified and inspected by the Executive Office of Aging and Independence. None of the individual facility reports is posted online. The Fall River Building department records show that the property was inspected in October 2024. At a news conference, the fire chief was asked if there were any problems with the sprinkler system. He said he was not sure if it was operating properly. Assisted living homes are considered residential and provide personal services and food to residents. A 2025 state report shows the average rent cost per month for assisted living ranges from $4,228 TO $10,886. Governor Maura Healey says most residents at Gabriel House are on Mass. Health, and she was not aware of any safety complaints. Lanzikos says the state has an obligation to inspect the properties, telling the I-Team, "nine people died and 30 people are in the hospital in this day and age, that is not acceptable. We are in Massachusetts can and must do better. This just indicates the need for enhanced transparency –these people who own these homes need to be held accountable."
19 hours ago
- Health
Assisted-living facility where 9 died in fire was up for recertification this year: Officials
The Massachusetts assisted-living facility that caught fire Sunday evening, leaving nine dead, was slated to undergo a recertification and compliance review process later this year. "Gabriel House is up for recertification in November 2025 and is on the list of compliance reviews to be conducted this Fall," a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services said in a statement Monday evening. An official briefed on the probe into the cause of the deadly fire told ABC News that, as a preliminary matter, the fire does not appear to have been set intentionally. More likely, the source said, it appears to have been caused by some sort of electrical or mechanical problem. Thirty people, including five firefighters, were taken to local hospitals after the deadly fire, according to officials. The facility in Fall River is classified as an assisted-living residence, not a nursing home. This distinction means that complexes like Gabriel House are subject to a different inspection, certification and regulatory process than Massachusetts nursing homes. The Massachusetts Division of Health Care Facility Licensure and Certification's website says that the division conducts unannounced inspections of nursing homes every nine to 15 months. Since Gabriel House is considered an assisted-living residence, its last onsite visit by representatives of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging & Independence occurred in October 2023. The office said that at the time, it found areas where Gabriel House "was not in compliance with state regulations," and the facility was required to submit a plan of correction. A compliance review report sent to Gabriel House Executive Director Dennis Etzkorn indicated the alleged violations were primarily related to missing documentation. One part of the report noted that state representatives reviewed a 90-day correspondence log "required to communicate information necessary to maintain the continuity of care for all Residents." "The Residence did not consistently document for each 24-hour period in the Correspondence Log," the document stated. "The Residence did not use the Correspondence Log to communicate all significant or pertinent information necessary to maintain the continuity of care for all Residents." Another part of the report said, "Documentation of the Residence monitoring the effectiveness of its Evidence Informed Falls Prevention Program was missing for all calendar years" and that the personnel records of three employees "were missing documentation of a pre-employment physical examination." Gabriel House's plan of correction indicated that changes were made and it received a certificate in December 2023. The certificate allowed Gabriel House to operate until November of this year.
DW
a day ago
- General
- DW
US: Fire in Massachusetts care home kills 9 residents – DW – 07/14/2025
The fire trapped residents inside, triggering a rescue operation in what officials are calling an 'unfathomable tragedy.' The facility housed lower income seniors in one of the poorest cities of Massachussetts. A fire at a care home facility in the US state of Massachusetts killed 9 residents and left some 30 others injured, local authorities said on Monday. The incident took place on Sunday at 9:50 p.m local time (02:50 UTC/GMT) at the Gabriel House facility in the community of Fall River, some 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of the city of Boston. Fall River is one of the poorest cities in the state of Massachusetts with some 94,000 residents. Flames and smoke spread through the facility, trapping residents inside, some of which were found leaning out of windows and screaming for help, authorities said Monday. The city opened a temporary shelter to assist the surviving residents. Some 50 firefighters responded to the scene, including 30 who were off-duty. They were met with heavy smoke and flames in the front portion of the building. Authorities had to break down doors to rescue a dozen residents. Five firefighters were injured during the operation. "This is an unfathomable tragedy for the families involved and the Fall River community," Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said. The origin and cause of the fire are unknown and now being investigated. According to the Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging & Independence, the Gabriel House opened in 1999 and has 100 units. The facility promotes studio apartments "for those seniors who cannot afford the high end of assisted living" as well as group adult foster care, according to the website. It is located within walking distance of shopping, restaurants and churches. Facility owner Dennis Etzkorn did not comment on the fire but according to authorities, he is cooperating with the investigation. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has offered state assistance to the Fall River community and gave her condolences to the families of those who died, while also thanking first respondents for their work. "Right now, the first order of business is to make sure we're assisting the city in every way possible in rehousing what is a vulnerable population," Healey said. "All of these people need assistance. As you saw, many were in wheelchairs, many were immobile, many had oxygen tanks," she added.
