Nine people were killed and one was critically injured in an assisted living home fire in Fall River, Massachusetts, authorities said. Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon called the fire at Gabriel House "an unfathomable tragedy."

Flames broke out just after 9:30 p.m. Sunday at the facility on Oliver Street. When firefighters arrived, they found heavy flames and smoke coming through the main entrance and several people hanging out of the windows, waiting to be rescued, according to Bacon.

About 30 residents were rushed to hospitals and five firefighters suffered minor injuries, Bacon said in an emotional news conference. The firefighters have since been released from the hospital. In addition to the nine residents who were killed, another was in critical condition Monday morning. Some of the residents were pronounced dead at the scene, while others died at the hospital.

"They had someone they were carrying with hands and feet. They were screaming, 'We need a medic!'" one witness said.

One of those killed was 86-year-old Eleanor Willet, her grandson told WBZ-TV. He declined to comment, but Willet's son, David Dixon, said he is still trying to wrap his head around what happened.

"Ya, I'm alright right now. But I don't know what it's going to be like later, like maybe when it all sinks in, I really don't know," David Dixon told WBZ-TV.

Eleanor Willet. Family photo

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn identified the other victims as 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 and 78-year-old Richard Rochon. The names of a 70-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man who died in the fire have not been released yet.

Resident Albert Almanza, who uses an oxygen tank, survived the fire, thanks to a police officer who got him out safely.

"I went to my room door, I opened it, all the smoke from the hall went right in my face and all I could do was stand there and choke," he said. "And I thought it was going to be the end of everything."

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey met with a few of the survivors Monday afternoon and heard their stories.

"They were in their bed or they had just had their medication and they're about to go to bed. They hear some noise and lights and shouting," Healey said. "A lot of them are immobile, you know. They're in wheelchairs or they have walkers. They can't easily move and they were disoriented."

Fall River Fire, Police, EMS saved "multiple lives"

"We had at least a dozen people rescued over ladders. The police department, fire department and EMS were able to enact dozens of rescues to save multiple lives," Bacon said.

"Were it not for the heroic work, brave work, of these men and women who showed last night, particularly our fire, police and EMS, we would have seen much greater loss of life," Healey said at a late morning news conference at the scene.

There's no word yet on how or where the fire started, but the district attorney said the cause does not appear to be suspicious at this time. About 50 firefighters were called in, including about 30 who were off-duty, State Fire Marshal Jon Davine said. Bacon said "every police officer in the city was here too."

"The fire investigators from the Fall River Fire Department and the state fire marshal's office will be in the building along with code compliance and they're going to try to put the scene back together and figure out what exactly happened," the fire chief said.

Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said there were sprinklers in the building. Bacon told reporters the fire damage was contained to one wing but there is smoke damage throughout the three-story home. The alarms could be heard in the background during the Monday morning news conference, but Bacon did not know if they were working at the time of the fire.

"Smoke kills more people than fire does, every day in America. I think the lesson that can be learned here is that listen to your smoke detectors and react because smoke is a very deadly force," he said.

Bacon said there were several oxygen tanks in the facility, but that they were "irrelevant" to the fire "at this time." He added that air conditioners in the windows made it difficult for firefighters during the rescues.

The Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River, Mass., on Monday, July 14, 2025, hours after the deadly fire there. CBS Boston

"An unfathomable tragedy for the families"

"This is an unfathomable tragedy for the families involved and the Fall River community," Bacon said in a statement before the news conference Monday. "On behalf of the Fall River Fire Department, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to the loved ones who are grieving this morning."

The family of Brenda Andrade said that she was in critical condition at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence. They told WBZ-TV that she had received burns on 50 percent of her body and that they were anxiously awaiting the chance to see her.

Families who had loved ones at the home can get more information at the chapel at St. Anne's Hospital, which is across the street from the assisted living center. They can also call 508-674-5741. The fire chief said all medications in the facility were being removed.

A temporary shelter has been set up for residents at the Timao Center on Bay Street, where at least 35 residents were being cared for. Mayor Coogan says that most of the residents have been transferred to nearby facilities as of Monday night.

The Fall River community rallied to support the survivors and families of victims at the shelter, carrying goods and providing emotional support for families.

Gabriel House

The Gabriel House is a non-profit that opened in 1999 and has 100 single-bed units, according to its website and Mass.gov. The state fire marshal said about 70 people were living at the home before the fire.

The last official state inspection of Gabriel House was on October 15, 2024. That inspection certificate is scheduled to expire this coming October 15.

The Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River, Mass., on Monday, July 14, 2025, hours after the deadly fire there. Michael Casey / AP

Some of the survivors said they liked living at the home, but many noted the elevator hadn't worked for eight months and that it was just very recently fixed.

"I was told that they had their inspection for the year July 8th, so if something happened it had to have been after July 8th," Mayor Coogan told reporters Monday afternoon.

"Nobody is programmed to deal with this"

Bacon said he will visit all of the fire stations in the city to make sure they have the support they need.

"Everyone thinks firefighters are heroes and they're just designed to be able to deal with anything, but that's not the case. The mental health aspect of this, for not just for the firefighters, the police officers, the EMTs and the families that were here. I'm a strong advocate for mental health support and I would say that for anybody that was at this scene last night, not just firefighters, police officers, EMS, to seek the help that you need to deal with the tragic situation like this. Nobody is programmed to deal with this," Bacon said.

"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 said. "I pledge to the mayor and the people of Fall River that my administration will do everything we can to offer support and assistance at this time."

Union says staffing was inadequate

In a press conference on Monday afternoon, union officials said the Fall River fire department is understaffed.

"Had they been staffed properly up to national standards, there would have been eight more firefighters affecting rescues here last night," Edward Kelly, general president of the International Association of Firefighters, said. "Lives would have been saved if the Fall River fire department were adequately staffed."

The National Fire Protection Association recommends that each company have four firefighters. The union says that most Fall River companies only have three, but the President of the Massachusetts Fire Chiefs' Association explained that most departments in the state can't meet that ideal number.

"We did the best we could with what we had," Fall River Firefighters Union president Michael O'Regan said. "And what we had was not enough."

"As far as staffing with the fire department. We staff to the number the chief gives us. I don't set the number. I don't know enough about fire department staffing. I can't figure out how they work those shifts. I don't know enough about it. He asked for a number and we gave it to him," Mayor Coogan said.

WBZ-TV has reached out to the Fall River fire chief for comment on firefighter staffing levels.

Where is Fall River, Massachusetts?

Fall River is in southeastern Massachusetts, about 50 miles south of Boston and 20 miles southeast of Providence, Rhode Island.