2025 Fall River assisted-living fire

2025 Fall River assisted-living fire

840m 916yds 🌍 Location of the fire in Fall River, Massachusetts
Date	July 13–14, 2025
Time	21:50 EDT (01:50 UTC)
Location	Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility, 261 Oliver Street, Fall River, Massachusetts, U.S.
Coordinates	41°41′34″N 71°9′59″W / 41.69278°N 71.16639°W / 41.69278; -71.16639
Type	Residential building fire
Cause	Accidental (undetermined); oxygen concentrator failure or smoking materials
Deaths	10
Non-fatal injuries	30+ (including six firefighters)

The 2025 Fall River assisted-living fire – widely referred to as the Gabriel House fire – was a five-alarm fire that broke out at the 100-unit Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, United States, on the night of July 13–14, 2025.^[1] The fire was reported at about 21:50 EDT (01:50 UTC) and quickly spread through the three-story, wood-frame building, with residents visible at upper-floor windows when firefighters arrived.^[2][3]

Ten residents died and more than 30 people—including six firefighters—were injured, making it the deadliest fire in Massachusetts in more than four decades.^[4][5] Roughly 70 residents were inside at the time; many used wheelchairs or relied on medical oxygen, conditions that both hindered evacuation and accelerated the fire's spread.^[6]

Investigators have classified the fire as accidental but undetermined. Preliminary findings trace the point of origin to a single second-floor studio where either a malfunctioning oxygen concentrator or discarded smoking materials ignited in an oxygen-enriched atmosphere.^[5] The performance of the facility's sprinkler and alarm systems remains under review.

The disaster prompted Governor Maura Healey to order an emergency review of fire-safety practices at all 273 assisted-living residences in Massachusetts,^[7] and it has led to multiple negligence lawsuits filed by survivors and victims' families against the facility's owners.^[8]

Gabriel House is a 100-unit, privately operated, non-profit assisted-living residence that opened in 1999 to serve older adults with lower incomes and higher care needs (including non-ambulatory residents and those using medical oxygen). The Massachusetts Department of Fire Services has stated the building is equipped with sprinklers and smoke detectors and is licensed by the state Executive Office of Elder Affairs.^[9] Facility materials described 24-hour staffing, electronic monitoring, and an emergency-response system; roughly 70 residents lived there before the fire.^[10]

Gabriel House is owned by Gabriel Care Inc., whose principal, Dennis Etzkorn, also operates other health-care facilities in Massachusetts. In 2012, Etzkorn was indicted on kickback allegations connected to an adult-foster-care business; the charges were dismissed in 2015 after key evidence was suppressed, and later that year Etzkorn and Gabriel Care LLC paid a $950,000 civil settlement to resolve separate MassHealth kickback allegations.^[10][11]

A state compliance inspection on October 17, 2023 cited staffing shortfalls, incomplete emergency-preparedness plans, and 26 resident incidents that had not been reported within the required 24-hour window. Regulators required a corrective plan and renewed the facility’s certification through December 2025. The city of Fall River conducted its own inspection on October 15, 2024 and renewed the building’s certificate of inspection through October 15, 2025.^[12]

Records released after the fire show a longer pattern of regulatory and maintenance problems. The facility temporarily lost its state certification in 2016 following substantiated allegations of resident mistreatment, regaining it later that year after implementing a corrective plan. Over the past decade, state agencies documented roughly two dozen complaints, including abuse and neglect allegations, medication being withheld, pest infestations, and prolonged elevator outages; ombudsmen raised fresh concerns about the elevator in early 2025. Although the certification was renewed in December 2023, deficiencies in emergency preparedness and staffing were again cited.^[13][14]

Staff and former employees also described chronic cleanliness and staffing issues, and a certified nursing assistant said the building’s sole elevator had been out of service for about nine months before being repaired shortly before the incident.^[12]

At 21:38 EDT on July 13, 2025, an automatic fire alarm activated inside the three-story Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility on Oliver Street in Fall River. Dispatchers sent a first-alarm assignment at 21:39 after multiple 9-1-1 callers reported a fire. Engine 5 reached the address at 21:44, where crews encountered flames appearing from the main entrance and smoke throughout the building.^[15]

Residents—many of them older adults with limited mobility—were visible at second- and third-floor windows signaling for help.^[16] Radio traffic captured pleas for additional medical units, according to a timeline compiled by FireRescue1.^[15]

Fall River police officers, the first to arrive, entered the smoke-filled structure without protective equipment, forced doors, and carried several non-ambulatory residents outside.^[17] Incident commander Chief Jeffrey Bacon ordered a five-alarm response within minutes. Approximately 65 Fall River firefighters (about 30 of them recalled off-duty) and 11 police officers ultimately operated at the scene, assisted by mutual-aid companies from Somerset, Swansea, Westport, Dartmouth, Raynham, Dighton, and the Rhode Island towns of Portsmouth and Tiverton.^[18]

Because many residents required assistance, responders declared a mass-casualty incident. Twelve ambulances established a triage area on Oliver Street, and patients were transported to St. Anne's Hospital, Charlton Memorial Hospital, and to Rhode Island Hospital for trauma/burn care.^[19]

Ground ladders were raised to upper-floor windows; firefighters and at least seven civilian bystanders removed screwed-in window air-conditioning units to reach trapped occupants.^[20][21] Bacon later said crews performed "dozens" of ladder rescues, while Captain Frank O'Reagan located three victims during a third-floor search at about 22:20.^[15]

The fire was declared "knocked down" at 22:37 and placed under control a few minutes later, although search and overhaul operations continued into the early morning of July 14.^[15] Nine residents died on the night of the fire; a tenth victim, 70-year-old Halina Lawler, succumbed to injuries on July 21, bringing the final death toll to ten.^[22] More than 30 people—including six firefighters—were injured.^[15]

Ten residents of the Gabriel House assisted-living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, died as a result of the fire. According to the Bristol County District Attorney's Office, the victims ranged in age from 61 to 86.

• Rui Albernaz, 64
• Ronald Codega, 61
• Brenda Cropper, 66
• Margaret Duddy, 69
• Robert King, 78
• Halina Lawler, 70
• Kim Mackin, 71
• Richard Rochon, 78 — a Vietnam War veteran
• Eleanor Willett, 86
• Joseph Wilansky, 77

Brenda Cropper had been incorrectly reported dead on July 17 due to a miscommunication with a medical agency. She remained in critical condition and ultimately died on July 18.^[23]

Some of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene, while others died at nearby hospitals after being transported by emergency services.^[6] More than 30 residents sustained injuries ranging from smoke inhalation to burns; five people remained hospitalized on July 17—including one resident in critical condition—with others listed as serious or stable.^[24] Injured residents were taken to multiple hospitals: 15 were treated at St. Anne's Hospital, 28 at Charlton Memorial Hospital, and 2 were transferred to Rhode Island Hospital for Level I trauma and burn care.^[1]

Six firefighters were also injured while responding to the blaze; all sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were released from medical care.^[9]

Investigators from the Fall River Fire Department, Fall River Police, Massachusetts State Police (including the State Fire Marshal's Office), and the Bristol County District Attorney's Office examined physical evidence, reviewed video footage, and interviewed witnesses. Officials stated on July 15 that the fire did not appear to be suspicious, though no definitive cause had been established at that time.^[25]

On July 22, state and local officials released preliminary findings identifying the area of origin as a resident's room on the left side of the second floor. Investigators found no evidence of an intentionally set fire and ruled out cooking, lighting, heating, electrical outlets, and other appliances as ignition sources. They reported locating an oxygen concentrator and numerous smoking materials in the room and said the presence of medical oxygen likely contributed to the fire's rapid spread. Because two possibilities could not be excluded—an electrical or mechanical failure involving the oxygen concentrator, or the ignition of smoking materials in an oxygen-enriched atmosphere—the cause was classified as accidental but undetermined.^[5][26][27]

By July 28, investigators reiterated that building electrical, mechanical, and cooking systems were not ignition sources, and that the cause remained confined to the two accidental possibilities noted above.^[28] Laboratory analysis of sprinkler heads, alarm panels, and other components was ongoing, with several sprinkler heads removed for testing. Questions about the fire-protection system's performance remained under review.^[29]

Surviving residents were temporarily sheltered at the Timao Centre on Bay Street. City officials said securing replacement medications and arranging longer-term housing were immediate priorities, as evacuated residents "have nothing" when they were evacuated.^[30]

Facility cook Paul Ferreira, who had worked there for five years, walked back to the scene after hearing of the fire and praised the rapid response: "They did an excellent job. You figured the building would be gone." He noted residents were sheltered in a nearby parking lot and later bused to temporary shelters, and that the 70 residents came from diverse backgrounds and "became part of your family."^[10]

Some residents criticized facility staff for inaction. One, Robert Cabral, stated, "They didn't knock on one door. They just ran," reflecting a perception that employee response was inadequate.^[1]

A reunification point for relatives was established at the St. Anne's Hospital chapel across the street, with an information line set up for families to call.^[6][31]

Fire Chief Bacon said he would visit all fire stations in the city to ensure personnel had adequate mental health support, stating: "Everyone thinks firefighters are heroes and they're just designed to be able to deal with anything, but that's not the case... I'm a strong advocate for mental health support and I would say that for anybody that was at this scene last night... to seek the help that you need to deal with the tragic situation like this. Nobody is programmed to deal with this."^[4]

A citywide fundraiser on July 18, 2025, at St. John's Athletic Club raised over $100,000 for displaced residents, drawing more than 600 attendees.^[32]

As of August 11, 2025, at least five civil lawsuits had been filed in Bristol County Superior Court arising from the fire. Plaintiffs include surviving residents and victims’ families. Across the complaints, recurring allegations include nonfunctional sprinkler and alarm systems, inadequate staffing and evacuation training, smoking near medical oxygen, and blocked egress. Defendants named in various suits include Gabriel House, its owner Dennis Etzkorn (Gabriel Care), and Fire Systems Inc., the company that installed and maintained the facility’s fire-protection equipment.^{[33][8][34][35][36]}

Filings during the first week of August included an August 1 complaint by three residents (Patricia Martin, Terry Young, and Donna Murphey), and a former resident’s claim seeking $50,000 in damages; Etzkorn publicly disputed certain allegations following the latter filing.^{[33][37][35][36]} Attorneys for several plaintiffs have also cited the facility’s regulatory history—including a temporary loss of state certification for mistreatment in 2016 and later deficiencies in preparedness and staffing—as supporting evidence of negligence.^[13][14]

On July 18, Governor Maura Healey announced an emergency statewide review of fire-safety readiness at all 273 assisted-living residences, requiring facilities to submit detailed surveys of sprinkler coverage, evacuation protocols and fire-door maintenance within 30 days, and to post evacuation instructions in every unit.^[7] Healey later accelerated a $1.2 million state grant to Fall River for immediate firefighter hiring and overtime after meeting with local leaders on July 22.^[38]

Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon called the blaze an "unfathomable tragedy," praising "dozens of rescues" and warning that smoke kills more people than flames.^[6]

Firefighter Michael O'Regan said he arrived roughly ten minutes after the alarm: "We did the best we could with what we had, and what we had wasn't enough." Forty minutes in, his brother—a captain—ventilated and searched third-floor windows, finding three victims and assisting a fourth, with no additional crews available to help.^[10]

At a press conference, International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) President Edward Kelly urged the city to put four firefighters on every truck, noting that eight of Fall River's ten companies run below that standard. "Lives would have been saved if the Fall River Fire Department was adequately staffed," he said, contrasting Fall River with nearby New Bedford, whose nine companies each carry four firefighters.^[39]

Fall River Fire Chaplain Father Michael Racine called the night "the worst experience of loss" in his ministry.^[40]

Mayor Coogan disputed claims of inadequate staffing, telling The Boston Globe that the department maintains 35 firefighters per shift, as requested by the fire chief, along with 20 "floater" firefighters to cover absences. Responding to union allegations, he said, "I don't know how they know that." When asked about the union's assertion that lives could have been saved had staffing met national standards during the initial response, Coogan replied, "I think it's way too premature. I want to let the investigation play out." He added, "My position would always be they're supposed to have 35 guys. I have no idea why they have 32."^{[41][42][43][30]}

Under intense union and public pressure, city officials and IAFF leaders announced on July 16 that Fall River would immediately raise staffing (via overtime) so that six of the department's ten engine companies operate with four firefighters—up from two—and pursue a longer-term plan to hire roughly 15–20 additional firefighters over the next two years. Mayor Coogan estimated the near-term cost at about $1.5 million; Bacon said the change increases minimum on-duty strength from 35 to 38 per shift. Kelly called the move "a step in the right direction" but said the union will continue to push for four-person crews on all companies.^{[44][45][46][47][48]} Healey's subsequent $1.2 million grant was earmarked to help fund the extra positions.^[38][44]

City officials also said the broader investigation will include a review of staffing levels, response times, fire suppression tactics, and building safety systems; Bacon acknowledged the need for more manpower citywide even as he defended his department's performance the night of the fire, saying it would be "speculation" to link additional staffing directly to the number of fatalities.^[49][45][46]

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey reiterated her "deepest condolences" while visiting the scene and praised first responders' "heroic work." She stated, "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. We lost nine folks last night in this terrible tragedy and our hearts and our sympathies are with their families." Healey noted that all five firefighters who were hospitalized had since been released.^[50][51]

Describing Gabriel House as a "fairly massive structure," Healey said she was grateful that "the vast, vast majority" of nearly 70 residents were rescued. "Most of them were people who needed help," she said. "These are people who are not able to move themselves, they were not mobile themselves, and therefore the work that fire, police, and EMS did to get people out was truly amazing." She pledged that her administration "will do everything we can to offer support and assistance," and added that the state is in the process of rehousing displaced residents.^[10]

Advocacy groups, including Dignity Alliance Massachusetts, renewed calls for more specific staffing requirements and regular fire drills in assisted-living facilities.^[52] State senator Mark Montigny said he hoped "this fire will serve to do what we should have done ten years ago."^[7]

U.S. Senator Ed Markey called the incident "an unimaginable tragedy," and Representative Jake Auchincloss said first responders "prevented an even greater catastrophe," wishing the injured "a full recovery."^[53][54] Senator Elizabeth Warren also called for stronger oversight of assisted-living facilities in the wake of the fire.^[55]

Mayor Paul Coogan commended the coordinated efforts of firefighters, police, EMS, and hospital staff, calling their performance "spectacular work."^[2][41]

Saint Anne's Hospital said "the loss of life and the trauma experienced by residents, staff, and first responders are heartbreaking," confirming nine patients remained hospitalized.^[56] Community organizations such as Samaritans Southcoast offered counseling and urged residents to "hold space in your heart for the families, seniors, first responders, and neighbors affected."^[10]

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• Massachusetts Department of Fire Services – press release