Tragic Fire at Massachusetts' Gabriel House Claims 9 Lives, Injures Over 30
Firefighters and police mounted a desperate rescue effort, with officers breaking down doors and carrying out non-ambulatory residents while flames and smoke poured from the front entrance.
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A raging fire tore through the Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, on the night of July 13, 2025, killing nine residents and injuring more than 30 others in one of the deadliest blazes in the city’s history. The five-alarm inferno, which erupted around 9:30 p.m. at the 100-unit facility on Oliver Street, engulfed one skrzydło of the three-story building, filling it with thick, toxic smoke that trapped elderly residents, many unable to flee due to mobility issues.
“I saw people hanging out of windows, screaming for help,” said Joe Alves, a nearby resident who witnessed the chaos. Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon praised the “heroic” response, noting that 50 firefighters, including 30 recalled from off-duty, saved dozens of lives using ladders and brute force. Five firefighters sustained minor injuries, and all were released by Monday morning.
The fire left approximately 70 residents displaced, with survivors sheltered at the Timao Center. A family reunification center opened at St. Anne’s Hospital, where loved ones like Melanie, who received a panicked call from her father trapped in his room, sought news. “He was too weak to break the window,” she said, uncertain of his fate. Another relative, Leo Johnson, found his mother, Carolyn, soaked from sprinklers but alive, suffering from smoke inhalation.
The cause remains under investigation by local and state authorities, including the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services and the Bristol County District Attorney’s office. An official told ABC News the fire does not appear intentional, but no conclusions have been reached. Chief Bacon confirmed sprinklers activated but could not verify the status of smoke detectors. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, visiting the site, called it an “unfathomable tragedy” and pledged state support, while Mayor Paul Coogan described it as the city’s worst crisis in his six years in office.
Gabriel House, opened in 1999, serves elderly adults needing daily assistance, with 24/7 staffing as mandated by state regulations. As Fall River, a working-class city of 94,000 south of Boston, grapples with the loss, officials are urging mental health support for responders and residents alike. The investigation continues, with answers still elusive for a grieving community.
*Sources: The Boston Globe, NBC Boston, ABC News, July 14, 2025*