Gabriel House owner releases statement after fire. Read it in full. — 5:02 p.m.
Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
Dennis Etzkorn, the owner of the Gabriel House facility, released a statement on Monday afternoon.
Read it here:
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.
Mayor says it’s ‘way too premature’ after fire union said understaffing hampered response — 4:52 p.m.
By Christopher Gavin, Globe Staff
In response to the union’s remarks, Mayor Paul Coogan told the Globe the department is staffed with 35 firefighters per shift, as requested by the fire chief, and 20 “floater” firefighters to cover absences.
“I don’t know how they know that,” Coogan told the Globe in response to the union’s remarks that if staffing were set at the national standard in the initial response to the fire it would have saved lives. “I think it’s way too premature. I want to let the investigation play out. My position would always be they’re supposed to have 35 guys. I have no idea why they have 32.”
“I was told to schedule at 35, so if they know a certain number would have saved a certain number of lives, they obviously know more than me,” he added.
With the summer season in full swing, “it might have been a particularly heavy vacation time,” Coogan said.
“There might have been guys sick. There might have been guys injured. I don’t know,” he said. “But if they weren’t even hitting the 35, then something’s wrong, especially with even 20 floaters to back fill the positions.”
Bristol County district attorney’s office identifies seven of the nine fire victims — 4:47 p.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
The Bristol County district attorney’s office on Monday afternoon identified seven of the nine victims of the fire, naming residents that range in age from 61 to 86 years old.
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, District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn, III’s office said in a statement. A 70-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man also died, but their names were not released while family notifications are underway.
The investigation into the fire’s cause is ongoing but “does not appear to be suspicious,” the statement said.
“My heart goes out to all of the victims, their families and all of those impacted by this terrible tragedy,” Quinn said in the statement. “I would like to commend the first responders for their efforts in bringing many of the residents to safety while being confronted with very difficult circumstances.”
Displaced residents transferred to other facilities — 4:20 p.m.
By Maria Probert, Globe Correspondent
A Fall River trolley picked up Gabriel Home fire victims at the Timao Center, where displaced residents of the facility were gathered Monday. Law enforcement loaded about 13 people into the trolley using an electric ramp.
According to Niki Fontaine, the director of Substance Abuse and Outreach Services at Fall River, the remaining residents are going to three nearby facilities that are similar to the Gabriel House, though declined to specify which ones.
Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff
By Ava Berger, Globe Correspondent
At the Timao Center, where displaced residents of the facility were gathered Monday, Rachael Desrosiers, 34, spent her time walking around the center asking residents what clothes or items they had lost and needed.
“I have shoes, I have clothing, I have toys, and I have so much of it,” she said. “Why not put into the hands people who actually need it?”
Her business, Thrifty Tots, which she took over in January is open for people to drop off donations at 36 Main Road in Tiverton, R.I., a couple miles from Gabriel House.
“I’m a domestic violence survivor myself, so those kinds of people, they’re the ones that need to have the good quality stuff put into their hands,” she said. “Especially if you’re starting over, it’s so difficult.”
Desrosiers’ goal is to open a donation pantry in Fall River.
“I’m eventually going to do a whole donation pantry, and it’s just going to be free to the community,” Desrosiers said. “People who need the stuff can just come in and shop.”
Along with Desrosiers, Niki Fontaine, director of outreach services for the city of Fall River, was at Timao Center gathering information from the displaced residents. She said people can also drop off clothes at Catholic Charities at 1600 Bay Street in Fall River.
Former Gabriel House worker never underwent fire drills or evacuation training — 4:14 p.m.
By Jason Laughlin, Globe Staff
A former Gabriel House worker said the assisted living facility where nine died in a blaze Monday did little to prepare staff for fires.
Jenn Marley, a Fall River certified nursing assistant who quit working at Gabriel House three years ago, said she never experienced a fire drill while employed there.
“They never had fire drills,” Marley said. “Nope, none.”
Marley worked at the home for almost two years, she said, and during that time she also was never trained in evacuation procedures, she said.
She said during her time there, the Gabriel House was frequently understaffed and poorly maintained. At times, new hires left after a matter of days after they became acquainted with conditions there, she said. She said some improvements, such as painting over a large water stain near the main entrance, happened only when the facility received notice state officials would be visiting.
Fall River fire captain describes ‘worst loss of life’ he has encountered — 3:45 p.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
Frank O’Regan, a Fall River fire captain who responded to the fire, said what he encountered was “the worst loss of life [at a] fire scene” he’s been to in 32 years.
“To my shock, when I came in it was still a very active fire scene, with rescues still going on,” he said. His brother, who also works for the Fall River Fire Department, said he arrived “40 minutes into this incident.”
O’Regan said he couldn’t find a breathing apparatus and no one was stationed on one side of the building. He described firefighters who were on the scene as “gassed” and said they were “still pulling people out.”
He was told there were still people trapped on the third floor.
“They raised the ladder, I went in, I didn’t have an air tank or anything,” he said.
“First room empty. Second door, I kicked in, body. Next room, empty. Next room, body. I just kept yelling. Guys kept coming down. We kept dragging them out. But I searched as much as I could and then after a while they just can’t take that much smoke.”
“There was just nobody there, and I couldn’t believe that after all this time there was still a full area with people trapped. It was awful.”
‘We did the best we could with what we had, and what we had wasn’t enough,’ says firefighter who responded to facility — 3:43 p.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
Michael O’Regan of the Fall River Fire Department, who was at the scene of the fire, characterized a delayed response to the conflagration.
“I was here about 10 minutes after the initial alarm. What I saw when I came here last night was something short of miraculous,” he said.
“We did the best we could with what we had, and what we had wasn’t enough,” he said.
O’Regan said 40 minutes into the fire, his brother, a captain with the Fall River Fire Department, responded and started ventilating and searching windows on the third floor. His brother found three victims and helped recover another.
“There were no other firefighters available to help Captain O’Regan do a search in a fire building where we had an unknown number of victims.”
Former State Senator asks Attorney General to look into conditions at Gabriel House — 3:38 p.m.
By Jason Laughlin, Globe Staff
A former state senator has requested the state Attorney General’s Office investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire at the Fall River assisted living facility.
Richard Moore, a Democrat who held office from 1995 to 2014, contacted the Attorney General’s Office Monday, saying reports about the conditions and management of Gabriel House warrant a closer look.
Information about the history of the home’s principal owner, Dennis Etzkorn, prompted Moore’s email, he said in an interview Monday. Etzkorn had been indicted more than a decade ago on accusations he paid health care providers to steer patients to one of his facilities. The charges were dropped in 2015 in the wake of findings that some financial records were obtained illegally.
“Given his past history, it ought to be looked at,” Moore said. “It certainly raises questions.”
In his email to Mary Freeley, an assistant attorney general running the Elder Justice Unit, Moore, who is now in the leadership of the Dignity Alliance, a Massachusetts advocacy group for seniors, raised questions about what Gabriel House’s management did to ensure the safety of residents.
“If the owners/managers of the facility did not hold periodic fire drills, if the building materials were not fire retardant, if the buildings were not built to code, if the fire suppression system was not working or inadequate, etc. …,” he wrote, “these are issues that result[ed] in elder abuse of multiple victims.”
He asked if the Attorney General’s Office would address oversight of these safety procedures in its effort to draft new consumer protections for residents of assisted living facilities.
The Attorney General’s office said it could not confirm whether it would initiate an investigation.
IAFF president calls on Fall River mayor to increase number of firefighters per company — 3:21 p.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
The president of the International Association of Firefighters called on the mayor of Fall River to increase the number of firefighters per truck to four.
“Fall River and the people that live here deserve better,” Edward Kelly said.
‘Lives would have been saved if the Fall River Fire Department was adequately staffed,’ IAFF president says — 3:18 p.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
Edward Kelly, the IAFF president, said during a press conference that last night “was not only a tragedy in the city of Fall River, it was also a travesty for the people who were in that building.”
Kelly said that eight of the Fall River Fire Department’s 10 companies were not staffed at national standards and had three firefighters per truck. If there had been four firefighters per company, there would have been more firefighters on the scene to assist in rescue operations.
“The other companies only have three firefighters on them,” Kelly said. “That’s wrong. Last night, had they been staffed properly up to national standards, there would have been eight more firefighters affecting rescues last night. There’s no doubt that would have made a difference in the amount of people we lost in this terrible fire last night.”
“Lives would have been saved if the Fall River Fire Department was adequately staffed,” he continued.
Kelly drew a parallel to neighboring New Bedford, where he said four firefighters are on every truck, and the city has nine companies.
“Had this same fire happened in New Bedford, there would have been more firefighters at that fire with nine fire companies than there was in Fall River with 10 fire companies.”
Mass. elder advocates raise concerns about oversight of state’s assisted living facilities — 3:12 p.m.
By Jason Laughlin, Globe Staff
Advocates for the state’s seniors noted there are longstanding concerns about lax oversight of assisted living facilities. The state Office of Aging and Independence, or AGE, oversees these homes, but their powers and the scope of their responsibilities are limited compared to the expansive mandate the Department of Public Health has in its regulation of the state’s nursing homes.
The office that handles assisted living facility certifications is understaffed, said Clarence Richardson, executive director of the Massachusetts chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, an issue that’s been raised in conversations with the state office. The staffing numbers there are woefully inadequate to ensure the roughly 300 assisted living facilities in the state are being operated safely, he said.
Other advocates noted that fire safety at assisted living facilities is usually regulated by local officials, not state authorities. Local authorities, however, may not have the expertise to determine whether an assisted living facility will competently be able to evacuate residents with physical or cognitive limitations during an emergency, said James Lomastro, a member of the coordinating council for the Dignity Alliance, a Massachusetts senior advocacy organization and a veteran of managing nursing facilities for seniors.
Fire victim remembered by niece — 3:02 p.m.
By John Hilliard, Globe Staff
One of the fire victims was Richard Rochon, a veteran of the Vietnam War, according to his niece, Stephanie Johnson.
“He was a tough cookie, but he always made you laugh and smile,” Johnson said in a brief phone interview.
Her mother, Judy, was Rochon’s sister, Johnson said.
“I know my mom is taking it pretty hard,” Johnson said, adding that she and her family appreciated the work of first responders.
“I want to thank all of the firefighters and the ambulances and everybody who did show up to help,” Johnson said. “It is unfortunate that it happened the way it happened.”
Gabriel House fire has highest number of casualties since Beverly rooming house fire in 1984, state says — 2:51 p.m.
By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff
The Gabriel House fire claimed the lives of at least nine people, making it the deadliest fire in Massachusetts since the Beverly rooming house fire 41 years ago, according to the State Fire Marshal’s office.
The rooming house fire claimed 15 lives and led to updates to the state’s building code to improve safety in multi-resident homes.
In 1982, eight people died in a fire in Lowell and seven people were killed in fires in Westwood in 1979, in Holyoke in 1981, in Worcester in 1983, and in North Attleboro in 1984, the state fire marshal’s office said.
Six Worcester firefighters lost their lives in the Cold Storage warehouse fire in 1999. Five people were were killed in Newton in 2000 and the same number lost their lives in Dennis in 2004, officials said.
Inside Timao Center, residents rest on cots — 2:43 p.m.
By Ava Berger, Globe Correspondent
Inside the Timao Center around 2:30 p.m., dozens of residents laid on cots in the makeshift reunification center.
The cots were lined up in rows in a gym area of the building with basketball hoops at either end. The area was filled with emergency personnel, Gabriel House employees, residents of Gabriel House, and family members.
Covered by red blankets, some residents’ eyes were closed, looking exhausted from the experience; some spoke to family, friends, or other residents. One rocked in a wheelchair back and forth under a blanket, staring straight ahead.
Understaffing hampered response, firefighter union says — 2:36 p.m.
By Christopher Gavin, Globe Staff
Understaffing hampered the initial response to Sunday night’s fire at the Gabriel House in Fall River, officials with the union representing Fall River firefighters told reporters on Monday afternoon.
“If this was the city of New Bedford or Boston or Worcester … it would have been 40 total firefighters initially on scene, before any off duty firefighters showed up,” said Edward Kelly, general president of the International Association of Firefighters. “There were only 32. Those additional eight firefighters in my opinion would have affected rescues, would have saved lives, and I don’t think I’m overstating that five more people probably could have lived had those eight firefighters been on scene.”
Press conference scheduled to start soon — 2:25 p.m.
By Christopher Gavin, Globe Staff
A press conference is set for 2:30 p.m. outside the Gabriel House assisted living facility. Representatives from the International Association of Fire Fighters were set to speak.
Eight people remain hospitalized at Charlton Memorial Hospital — 2:15 p.m.
By Emily Sweeney, Globe Staff
Twenty-eight people injured in the fire were taken to Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River last night, eight of whom are “still being cared for,” Southcoast Health said in a statement.
“We are grateful for the strong response, collaboration, and support from all first responders in our region, along with Mayor [Paul] Coogan’s leadership during this tragic event,” the statement said. “As the situation continues to evolve, we are working closely with city leadership to offer our support and resources to those impacted however helpful. We share our deepest condolences with everyone in our community affected by this tragedy.”
‘We are a poor city but there’s a lot of caring people,’ chaplain says — 2:05 p.m.
By Christopher Gavin, Globe Staff
Sister Judith Costa, a chaplain at St. Anne’s Hospital, arrived at the Tiamo Center on Monday morning “trying to do good and be of comfort to people,” she said.
Those who escaped the fire told her about the shock of it all, she said.
“But they are grateful that they are alive, these folks here,“Costa said. “And they told me they are so sad for those who died, the friends who died, but they don’t even know who they are right now.”
Asked about the impact the fire will have on Fall River, Costa said, “we are a poor city but there’s a lot of caring people.”
”They will make it with the help of all of us,” Costa said.
Nursing assistant describes ‘disgusting’ conditions at Gabriel House: ‘Cockroaches, mice, broken elevators’ — 2:01 p.m.
By Ava Berger, Globe Correspondent
Deborah Johnson, a certified nursing assistant who has worked at Gabriel House for four years, described the “disgusting” living quarters at the assisted living facility.
“I don’t like the way the residents were treated at Gabriel house,” she said in an interview at the Timao Center, where displaced residents of the facility were gathered Monday. “Cockroaches, mice, broken elevators, disgusting food, and that’s all the God’s honest truth.”
Johnson said she kept being told Gabriel House was cutting down on costs and residents were told to not use too much soap in their laundry.
“These people did not deserve what they got,” Johnson said. “They did not deserve those living quarters that they lived in. Disgusting, and that’s because a lot of them didn’t have family.”
Johnson said the elevator was broken for about nine months and a window was broken three weeks ago and was never fixed. She also said there were no fire drills or evacuation plans in case of an emergency.
On Sunday night, Johnson said she arrived at the building for her 10 p.m. shift. For as long as she has worked there, she said, only two CNAs work throughout the night, she said.
“Understaffed, that’s an understatement,” she said.
Johnson saw the fire when she arrived at work and watched firefighters carry residents down on ladders. She saw one of her residents in a window “afraid.”
“I saw a horror show,” she said. “I was outside screaming.”
“I’m just horrified with the whole situation,” she said.
Neighbor says those in assisted living facility ‘were neglected’ — 1:57 p.m.
By Maria Probert, Globe Correspondent
Suzette Viveiros, 59, lives a couple blocks from the Gabriel Home. Viveiros said last year she applied to be a dishwasher at the home, and while she waited at the lobby for over 30 minutes to get assistance with her application, she saw patients walking or wheeling around unsupervised.
“They were neglected, it didn’t look like they cared about the people,” Viveiros said.
Viveiros said she did not have to show ID to get in the building or apply for the job, and all the furniture looked to be from the ’70s. She said there was no receptionist and the space lacked workers.
“I blame the city for not shutting them down, (the people inside) dont have a voice,” Viveiros said.
Survivor says he was reunited with his daughter’s ashes after fire — 1:52 p.m.
By Christopher Gavin, Globe Staff
Within the past two years, Albert Almanza’s two daughters have both died.
He recalled Irene Berard and Talitha Cofiell as he described how he managed to escape Sunday night’s fire.
“All the smoke from the hall went right into my face and all I could do was just stand there and choke,” said Almanza, 77. “I thought it was going to be the end of everything.”
He recalled how an emergency responder grabbed him by the arm, and with the help of a second person, led him down the stairs.
“My whole family’s gone and I’m alone, and that made it worse,” he said. “I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
Later, crews went back into the building and retrieved an urn that held Berard’s cremated remains, Governor Maura Healey told reporters.
“His daughter is with him now,” she said.
Having the remains returned to him was “priceless,” he said.
“She meant a lot to me – both of my kids,” he added. “They both meant a lot to me, and I would do my best to take care of them.”
‘They become part of your family,’ cook says of residents — 1:38 p.m.
By Omar Mohammed, Globe Staff
Paul Ferreira said he has worked as a cook at Gabriel House for five years. On Sunday, he left work at 6.30 p.m.
He was at home taking a nap when he saw the news about the fire.
“I thought it was a joke at first, and I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me?’” he said. “I don’t drive, so I walked all the way down here.“
Ferreira praised the firefighters who battled the blaze.
”They did an excellent job. Look at the building still intact … you figured the building would be gone. They did a good job,” he said.
Ferreira said he stayed outside the home until 5 a.m. He said residents were brought to a parking lot near the building.
“Then they had buses that came and took some to, what do you call it, shelters,” he said. “Quite a few of them are in hospital.”
Ferreira said the facility has about 100 bedrooms, with about 70 residents from a range of backgrounds, including Italian, Portuguese, Polish.
“They made me laugh,” he said, saying they remained positive although some had no relatives. “They become part of your family.”
Senator Markey calls Fall River fire an ‘unimaginable tragedy’ — 1:37 p.m.
By Claire Thornton, Globe Staff
Senator Ed Markey said Monday that he is devastated by the deadly fire in Fall River and that he is praying for the victims’ families.
“I am devastated by this morning’s unimaginable tragedy in Fall River, and I am sending my prayers and support to the victims’ families,” the Democratic senator said in a Facebook post.
Markey also said he’s thankful for first responders “who bravely ran into the fire to save lives.”
“I wish all those injured a full and fast recovery,” he said.
‘It’s devastating,’ Governor Healey says after meeting survivors — 12:53 p.m.
By Christopher Gavin, Globe Staff
Governor Maura Healey met with survivors on Monday morning at the Tiamo Center.
She said residents were being given their records and medication.
“It’s devastating,” she told reporters afterwards.
Many residents were in bed or were just about to go to sleep when the fire broke out, Healey said. A lot of them use wheelchairs or are immobile, she said.
“They were disoriented, just struggling to figure out what’s going on,” Healey said.
She described the story of two brothers who managed to get out.
“One made it out into a hallway and couldn’t see a thing, but felt the hand of a firefighter reach out,” she said.
The other was rescued when a firefighter put an axe through a window, she said.
Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said there were seven residents who still needed a place to go as of late morning.
City and state officials are “working hand-in-hand to make sure we take care of these people by the end of the day,” Coogan said.
‘My soul has been ripped out,’ says resident who lost two friends in fire — 12:50 p.m.
By Ava Berger, Globe Correspondent
Outside the Timao Center at noon, Lorraine Ferrara, a resident of Gabriel House for eight months, wiped tears away from her reddened eyes as she sat on a rock.
Ferrara, 71, was on the second floor of the assisted living facility on Sunday night when a worker “banged” on her door. When she opened it, the smoke “blew me back,” she said.
Ferrara could not get to the exit, and her room was quickly filling with smoke, she said.
She grabbed a towel and covered her nose.
“I thought I was going to die,” she said. “I thought this was it.”
“I just started yelling, ‘Help, help, second floor,’” Ferrara recalled.
Above her she heard screams of, “Help, help, third floor.”
A firefighter put his ladder up to Ferrara’s window, but she couldn’t open it.
“There’s no sense. I can’t get out,” she recalled telling him.
“And he said ‘You’ve got to get out,’” Ferrara said of the firefighter. “So he broke the window and he got me down.”
Ferrara said she doesn’t remember being carried out of the building. When she came to, she was across the street looking back at the chaos.
“It was just a nightmare,” she said. “All the ambulances and fire trucks. People screaming. It was crazy.”
Ferrara said two of her “dear friends” died in the fire.
“They both tell me everyday they love me, and I tell them I love them,” Ferrara said, crying softly.
“My soul has been ripped out,” she said.
Gabriel House resident says elevator at facility was broken for more than eight months — 12:45 p.m.
By Ava Berger, Globe Correspondent
Evacuated Gabriel House resident Michael Pimentel, 72, sat in his wheelchair next to his longtime friend Russell Silvia, 41, outside of the Timao Center Monday morning.
The pair said they had called news stations multiple times urging people to investigate the facility. Silvia said when he visited, it smelled like “urine.”
“Mice in beds,” Silvia said.
“Cockroaches,” Pimentel added.
Pimentel said the elevator at the facility was broken for eight and a half months and had just recently been fixed a couple of weeks ago. A few days ago it was broken again for a day, he said. Other residents and family members outside Timao Center also mentioned the broken elevator.
“You got people that are in wheelchairs that couldn’t come out for over eight and a half months,” Silvia said, “that did not come outside.”
When asked Monday about reports of a broken elevator, Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said he had “not heard anything … I do not know a thing about the elevator.“
He said the elevator was last inspected on July 8.
“If something happened it would have to have been after July 8,” he said.
Pimentel said his concerns about the building were reaffirmed when he saw the smoke on Sunday night.
He said there were no lights that went off with the fire alarms and no illumination of exit signs.
Pimentel and Silvia lost a friend in the fire, a Vietnam veteran.
“Very honorable,” Pimentel said of the man.
Both men shook their heads in disappointment about the situation.
“It was bound to happen,” Silvia said. “It’s going to take a fire for a light to get shined over there.”
9 patients currently hospitalized at St. Anne’s Hospital in Fall River — 12:33 p.m.
By Emily Sweeney, Globe Staff
Fifteen people injured in the Gabriel House fire were treated at St. Anne’s Hospital last night, hospital officials said.
Nine patients are currently hospitalized and in stable condition, four patients were treated and discharged, and two patients were transferred to Rhode Island Hospital for specialized treatment, according to Brown University Health, a health system that includes St. Anne’s Hospital in Fall River and Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.
“Saint Anne’s Hospital and Brown University Health extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones affected by last night’s devastating fire at the Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River,” a Saint Anne’s Hospital spokesperson said in a statement.
“The loss of life and the trauma experienced by residents, staff and first responders are heartbreaking, and our thoughts are with the entire Fall River community during this tragic time.”
By Claire Thornton, Globe Staff
The local group Samaritans Southcoast says is ready to help the Fall River community cope with emotional distress related to the Gabriel House fire.
“Fall River, we mourn with you and stand ready to care for one another,” said the post on Facebook attributed to the group’s executive director, Darcy H. Lee.
The suicide prevention nonprofit, which was previously called Samaritans of Fall River/New Bedford, is located in Westport, about seven miles from the Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility.
“This is a powerful moment to hold space in your heart for the families, seniors, first responders, and neighbors affected,” the group’s post said.
Auchincloss mourns Gabriel House victims, wishes those injured ‘a full recovery
By Claire Thornton, Globe Staff
Representative Jake Auchincloss said Monday he is mourning the victims of the deadly blaze in Fall River, which is located in the southern portion his congressional district.
In a post on his Facebook page, Auchincloss said he is thinking of those who died in the fire and the dozens of residents who were injured.
“I mourn for the nine Fall River residents who died in last night’s fire, and I am keeping the over 30 hospitalized residents in my thoughts, wishing them all a full recovery,” the post said.
Auchincloss thanked fire fighters and first responders, whom he said “prevented an even greater tragedy.”
The Democratic congressman said he will maintain close communication with Fall River’s mayor, “in support of the city and its residents.”
What we know about how the Fall River tragedy unfolded — 12:19 p.m.
By Christina Prignano, Globe Staff
Firefighters responded to reports of a building fire at the Gabriel House in Fall River at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday. Here’s a breakdown of what we know.
What we know about the fire at a Fall River assisted living facility
A fire at the Gabriel House Assisted Living facility late Sunday night claimed nine lives.
Heavy fire was coming from the front door of the facility when firefighters responded around 9:30 p.m., officials said.
The fire was contained to one wing of the building, but smoke traveled throughout the facility, and fire officials said victims were found “everywhere” in the building.
Residents broke windows to escape the smoke and firefighters plucked some people from windows. Nine people were killed in the fire, with many more injured.
SOURCE: Globe reporting, Fall River Fire Department. CREDIT: Ryan Huddle/Globe staff; Photograph by MARK STOCKWELL FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE; Gabriel House building Google Earth.
Neighbors saw fire, first responders bloodied and covered in soot — 12:10 p.m.
By Maria Probert, Globe Correspondent
Neighbors living near the Gabriel House facility said they saw the fire from their homes last night and watched firemen pull out bodies from the back of the building’s middle right window.
One resident described firemen and policemen with ripped uniforms, bloodied and covered in soot. Others described a chaotic scene and fighting in the parking lot among residents who wanted to go inside and help pull out people from the fire.
Gabriel House owner once charged with paying kickbacks to get MassHealth clients — 11:50 a.m.
By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff
Dennis D. Etzkorn, the long-time owner of the Gabriel House assisted living facility, was indicted for paying kickbacks to get Mass Health clients, but the charges were dropped after judges ruled investigators obtained key records illegally, records show.
Etzkorn, who holds all of the offices for Gabriel Care Inc., was charged with paying $150 to individual health care providers who steered potential MassHealth clients to the Oliver Street facility, according to state and court records.The alleged scam generated “in excess of $2 million improperly procured” by Etzkorn, another person and Gabriel Care, according to court records. But Superior Court judges ruled then-Attorney General Martha Coakley’s office had obtained financial records illegally and barred them from being used against Etzkorn during a trial.
In the aftermath of the judicial rulings in Etzkorn’s favor, prosecutors permanently ended the case against him in 2015, records show.
Governor Healey offers her ‘deepest condolences,’ praises work of first responders on the scene — 11:45 a.m.
By Amanda Kaufman, Globe Staff
Governor Healey, speaking outside of the Gabriel House on Monday morning, offered her “deepest condolences” to the families and friends of those who were killed in the fire and praised the “heroic work” of first responders and Fall River officials who responded to the scene.
“I just want to say to the families and friends of those who perished, I offer my condolences, deepest condolences and sympathy on behalf of the Commonwealth for this tragic loss,” Healey said. “We lost nine folks last night in this terrible tragedy and our hearts and our sympathies are with their families.”
Healey said five firefighters who were treated at the hospital have been released.
“As you can see this is a fairly massive structure, massive facility, it housed nearly 70 people and thank god the vast, vast majority of them were able to be taken out,” Healey said.
“Most of them were people who needed help as you see from some of the footage and what I’ve seen,” she added.
”These are people who are not able to move themselves, they were not mobile themselves, and therefore the work that fire and police and EMS did to get people out was truly amazing.”
Healey pledged that her administration “will do everything we can to offer support and assistance,” and she added that the administration is in the process of rehousing the residents who were displaced.
Assisted living residences are required to prepare for fires — 11:40 a.m.
By Marin Wolf, Globe Staff
State regulations require facilities like the Gabriel House to have emergency management plans ready for potential disasters, including fires. The plans must include evacuation strategies and “shall address the physical and cognitive needs of residents.” Staff must also be trained on and periodically review the plans.
The Gabriel House is an assisted living residence, meaning that it’s a private facility that offers services like housing, meals, and personal care services to adults who live independently, according to the Massachusetts Office of Aging & Independence.
Assisted living residences differ from nursing homes, which are licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and provide 24-hour and short-term care for people experiencing frailty, recovering from hospitalizations, or living with physical or neurological disabilities.
Uncle of resident: ‘Housing and accommodation are pretty tough right now’ — 11:05 a.m.
By Christopher Gavin, Globe Staff
Paul MacDonald was waiting outside the Timao Center on Monday to be reunited with his nephew, Scott Allan, 61.
Allan is impaired from the waist down and uses an electric scooter to get around, MacDonald said.
“This was a good spot. He was very social here,” MacDonald said. “He kind of came out of his funk while he was at the Gabriel House. So hopefully you know he can find something that’s similar to that down the road.”
MacDonald, of Hull, was relieved Allan made it out of the fire but he was already thinking about the challenge of finding new accommodations.
“Housing and accommodation are pretty tough right now so I can’t imagine what these folks are going through trying to find, you know, something reasonable for them to get them resettled,” he said.
Governor Healey arrives at scene — 10:57 a.m.
By Ava Berger, Globe Correspondent and Omar Mohammed, Globe Staff
Governor Maura Healey has arrived at the scene of the Gabriel House. She is being accompanied by Mayor Paul Coogan and other city officials.
‘Where am I going to live?’ — 10:57 a.m.
By Maria Probert, Globe Correspondent
Scott Allan, 61, said he had lived at the Gabriel House since 2022. On Sunday, Allan, who lived on the bottom floor, awoke to hear knocking at the door and saw firemen with axes trying to get in.
“Lots of flames coming out of these windows out front and flames coming out of the porch,” Allan, who uses a wheelchair.
Allan said he knew five people who died in the fire, one a retired veteran. He is waiting on family to figure out next steps.
“Where am I going to live?” Allan asked.
Signs of normalcy near scene of fire — 10:47 a.m.
By Omar Mohammed, Globe Staff
On Oliver Street, car traffic was moving slowly by the Gabriel House of Fall River, a sign of normalcy returning even as the city grapples with the tragic fire that claimed the lives of nine residents.
Governor expected to speak at Gabriel House soon — 10:45 a.m.
By Ava Berger, Globe Correspondent
Governor Maura Healey is expected to speak at Gabriel House shortly, according to city officials.
Fire officials continued to clear boxes out of the facility.
Gabriel House advertised 24-hour emergency response — 10:42 a.m.
By Marin Wolf, Globe Staff
The Gabriel House lists different housing plans on its website that include a round-the-clock emergency response system and 24-hour staffing.
The basic service plan advertises electronic monitoring systems including video cameras with an intercom. A studio apartment could cost up to $2,400 per month, according to the facility’s website.
The property, located at 261 Oliver St. in Fall River, was most recently appraised at nearly $5 million and has 88 units.
Fire victims were taken to three area hospitals — 10:33 a.m.
By Emily Sweeney, Globe Staff
Fall River’s Department of Emergency Medical Services said the fire victims were sent to three hospitals: Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River, St. Anne’s Hospital in Fall River, and Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.
Healey to visit fire scene — 10:25 a.m.
By Christopher Gavin, Globe Staff
Governor Maura Healey was slated to visit the scene of the fire on Monday morning, a Fall River city official told the Globe.
Mayor says next step is finding a home for the displaced residents — 10:22 a.m.
By Omar Mohammed, Globe Staff
Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said the next step is trying to find long-term placement for the residents.
“Next steps are, find a home for those 39 residents that are down in the Timao Center. Support the owner here while he boards this place up. Make sure we have, we don’t have people going in there looking for any valuables or drugs or anything,” he said.
“We have the owner here. He’s got his crew here planning to board up the building,” he said. “He’s gonna secure it and he’s gonna have someone here watching it. And we’re working with our residents that were displaced to find an appropriate placement for them where they’re gonna be safe and warm and get their medicine and feel comfortable again.”
He added: “I know this is a tremendous upheaval to people when they’re yanked out of their house on about five minutes notice, so. We’re heading there right now, we’re doing our best to accommodate the residents. That’s what we’re gonna make sure we take care of.”
‘I don’t think we’ve ever faced something like this,’ Fall River mayor says — 10:20 a.m.
By Omar Mohammed, Globe Staff
Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan, looking distraught as he stood outside Gabriel House Monday morning, said the deadly fire is the most difficult thing the city has faced in his six years as mayor.
“I don’t think we’ve ever faced something like this,” he said. “It’s a bit much.”
He said he got a call about the fire at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday night as he was getting ready for bed and arrived at the scene at about 10 p.m., he said.
“That parking lot over there was full of people sitting on the ground, sitting on stretchers, and the wheels were already spinning about where are we gonna place these people right now,” he said. “Everybody activated their contacts and we got these people placed. And we got them breakfast this morning.
”In total, there were 69 residents in the facility. There have been 9 fatalities and about 30 injured with one in “very critical condition,” he said.
Five firefighters were injured but they are all okay, he said.
“It was a team effort of people that were able to pull this off. As you can see, this is a very busy street. The fire never spread. And we got our people placed in a moment’s notice in a place where they could take a shower, get breakfast and sleep,” he said.
The remaining residents have been placed at Timao Center.
On whether inspections for the property were up to date, Coogan said that he didn’t have all the information on that yet.
“The building is inspected every year as is all of our nursing homes. I’ve never heard anything tremendous about the place or negative. So I can’t really comment,” he said.
‘Big relief’ as resident reunites with his family — 10:17 a.m.
By Ava Berger, Globe Correspondent
Around 6:45 a.m., Tammy Stephens received a Teams chat on her phone from people she worked with that Gabriel House was on fire. Her brother, Chris, has lived in the facility for eight years.
Stephens, her son, Chris, and her sister, Holly DeLuca, rushed to Fall River from Marion and Fairhaven, unsure where they were going and seeing reports of multiple fatalities online. They didn’t know if Chris, her brother who is partially blind, was safe.
“It was fear,” Chris Stephens said. “That was the first reaction, and then confusion.”
The family called his cell phone over and over with no answer.
“There were reports on social media that there were dead bodies still in the building,” Chris said.
“That compounded everything.”
Chris Stephens said as they drove his mom’s voice “cracked” and she was “crying.” He tried as best he could to “keep it together for her.”
Eventually, the family made their way to the Timao Center, where they found Chris.
“When I first saw him inside the building he was dazed and confused,” DeLuca said. “I could see he was traumatized.”
DeLuca pulled her brother in close as relief washed over her. DeLuca said her brother’s girlfriend died in the fire and he was “upset.”
Tammy said the situation was “frightening” and she wished she found out about the situation somewhere other than a work group chat.
“I’m upset because I can tell he’s traumatized,” Tammy said of her brother. “I’m upset there wasn’t some way to find out in a better way or contact the family.
”Outside of Timao Center, the family gathered around a car while Chris sat in the front seat. There’s no official word on where the residents will stay now, Chris Stephens said.
“Obviously, we’re not going to abandon my uncle,” he said.
“We’re going to do what we have to do to make sure he gets back on his feet.”
“We’re just glad that he’s here,” he added. “It’s terrible for the residents and their families.”
‘We’re all homeless now,’ resident says — 10:16 a.m.
By Christopher Gavin, Globe Staff
Kerry Leckey, 58, just moved into the assisted living facility two months ago and was previously homeless, she said.
“I’m supposed to have a leg immobilizer on … I’m still not healed but we had to get out of there quick, so we couldn’t grab anything,” Leckey said.
“I was lucky to get this and bring it with me,” she said, referring to a walker she had with her outside the Tiamo Center on Monday morning. “But most people didn’t even get that.”
Leckey said she has made a few friends in the short time she has lived at the facility. She said Monday she believed three of them died.
“You see this stuff on the news and you don’t really know until you’re actually in a situation like this what it feels like,” she said, her voice heavy with emotion. “It’s sad. I mean, people are walking around down there with soot all over them. They’re just trying to get out of the building and they’re literally covered in soot.”
Leckey is now worried about being homeless again.
“We’re lucky to have our lives and that we got through it but… we’re all homeless now,” Leckey said.
Resident describes breaking window to escape — 9:45 a.m.
By Christopher Gavin, Globe Staff
Outside the Tiamo Center on Monday, residents were trying to make sense of what had happened.
Michael Pimentel, 72, who has lived at the facility for eight years, said he was dozing off Sunday night when the fire broke out. It was “pitch black, smoke up the yin-yang,” he said.
When the alarms went off, Pimentel, who has a congenital condition with his left hand and has two prosthetic legs, went into a bathroom, he said.
He stood up and tried to open a window, but it only opened a few inches, he said.
“I could only get it open that much, and I’m screaming at the firemen to help me out and other people. I finally got fed up with that and I stood up and I grabbed the top of that window and I ripped it right off the hinges,” he added.
“Then I took the top window, brought that down, and ripped that one off. Then I banged out the screen to give me plenty of room for them to take me out.”
He said he saw flames 10 feet tall at one point.
“It was pretty traumatic,” he said.
‘I was just hoping I was going to make it,’ resident says of fatal fire — 9:37 a.m.
By Ava Berger, Globe Correspondent
Around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, firefighters pulled Neal Beck from his third-floor window at Gabriel House.
“I was just hoping I was going to make it,” Beck, 78 said Monday outside of Timao Center, where residents displaced by the fire have been moved. “I was thinking about jumping out the bathroom window, but thank God I didn’t because it’s too high.”
Beck was in bed when the fire alarms went off. When he opened the door to the hallway, he found that the “whole place is full of smoke,” he said.
“I went out and I couldn’t see nothing and shut that door. That smoke was horrible stuff.”
Beck said his room smelled of burning rugs and plastic.
Upon hearing that nine people had died around 9:15 a.m, Beck shook his head.
“Oh my God, that’s outrageous,” he said. “I’m totally shocked. It’s unreal.”
Beck said he has lived at Gabriel House for about five years and described it as “nice” and “cordial.”
“Thank God God was on my side and I was able to get out,” Beck said.
Gabriel House resident says people were ‘yelling’ and ‘banging’ on windows trying to get out — 9:30 a.m.
By Ava Berger, Globe Correspondent
Outside of the Timao Center, a reunification center in Fall River where Gabriel House residents have been moved, residents stood outside smoking cigarettes and workers from the assisted living facility hugged them or asked them how they were doing.
Shirley Cambra, 75, has lived at Gabriel House for six years. She was outside of Timao Center sitting in a walker smoking a cigarette with another resident.
Cambra said that around 9:30 p.m. Sunday night, she was outside smoking a cigarette with four other residents at Gabriel House.
She said smoke was everywhere and fire was shooting out of an AC unit.
“All these lights are flashing inside, and people are banging [on the windows] wanting to get out,” Cambra said. “They’re yelling and I couldn’t help. I kept going ‘Wait a minute, wait a minute.’”
Cambra said she doesn’t know who the nine people are who died.
“I feel terrible,” she said. “There’s no way we could’ve helped them.”
“It was just a disaster,” she continued. “Worse thing I ever saw in my life.”
Gabriel House maintenance worker: ‘I got close’ to the residents — 9:04 a.m.
By Ava Berger, Globe Correspondent
Outside of Gabriel House Monday morning, Nelson Gonzalez, 65, of New Bedford, a maintenance worker at the facility said during his last shift on Friday, he was with the residents while they had a picnic.
Gonzalez had only been working at the facility for eight months but he said he had grown close with the residents.
One of the women who died had just won a writing competition through the assisted living facility’s activities room, he said.
“I got close,” Gonzalez said. “They told me not to get close… I did make friends with a lot of the residents here, and unfortunately a few of them passed away.”
When he left from work on Friday, Gonzalez told the residents, “I’ll see you guys Monday.”
One of the residents said: “Well, not sure because tomorrow’s not guaranteed.”
“That was one of them that passed away,” Gonzalez said, his voice heavy. “I told him, ‘I’ll see you Monday.’ He says, ‘Well, no God willing because tomorrow’s not guaranteed.’ And he passes away.”
See photos of the scene overnight — 8:55 a.m.
Healey says ‘full investigation’ into Gabriel House fire underway — 8:41 a.m.
By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff
Governor Maura Healey said a “full investigation” into the cause of the fatal fire at the Gabriel House is underway and that she considered the incident a “tragedy.”
“My heart goes out to those who are waking up to the most horrific news imaginable about their loved ones this morning. I’m grateful to the firefighters and first responders whose heroic efforts saved lives. We are all praying for those who lost loved ones and for the full recovery of those who were injured,” she said in a statement Monday.
Healey said she has been in contact with Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan and “offered the full assistance of the state. I know the people of Fall River are strong and resilience, and now is the time for us to all come together to support one another through this terrible tragedy.”
Here’s where the facility is located — 8:21 a.m.
By Christina Prignano, Globe Staff
Firefighters encountered chaotic scene, fire chief says — 8:14 a.m.
By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff
Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said firefighters confronted a chaotic scene when they arrived on Oliver Street.
“When they pulled up, obviously our first priority is life safety,” Bacon said. “So when you pull up to a building and the first thing you see is the fire – but then you seen multiple that are asking to be helped and begging to be helped out the windows. That’s where it complicates the scene. It makes everything more difficult.”
At least nine dead, 30 injured, officials say — 8:09 a.m.
By John R. Ellement, Globe Staff
Nine people are dead and some 30 people injured, one critically, after a five-alarm fire broke out at an assisted living facility in Fall River late Sunday night, Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said Monday.
Bacon told reporters that when firefighters arrived at the Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility on Oliver Street just after 9:30 p.m. Sunday, they found people hanging out of the building needing rescue.
He said nine people were killed and that some died inside the facility while others were pronounced dead at various hospitals where they were rushed by first responders.
“We’re here to save lives, and anytime that any life is lost, a single life is lost, is a tragedy. In our minds, it’s a failure of our job,” Bacon said Monday around 7:15 a.m. “But we know that there are forces beyond our control, and that’s things like this, unfortunately happen.”
