State Fire Marshal reveals possible cause of tragic Gabriel House fire
FALL RIVER, Mass. (WLNE) — About a week after a devastating fire at the Gabriel House in Fall River, officials shared on Tuesday what they have learned about the origin of the deadly fire.
Massachusetts State Fire Marshal Jon Davine said a preliminary investigation revealed two possible causes: an electrical issue with an oxygen tank or the improper disposal of smoking materials.
He said the fire started in a resident’s room on the second floor.
“Tragically, the occupant was among those who lost their lives on July 13, and we could not speak to that to get an account of the fire’s earliest stages,” Davine said.
Unable to pinpoint those initial moments of fire, Davine said the official cause will remain undetermined for now, though officials agreed the fire was accidental.
He said, either way, investigators believe the presence of medical oxygen helped fuel the tragedy.
“In an oxygen-rich environment, the fire will ignite more readily and spread more rapidly, and burn at higher temperatures,” Davine said.
Despite firefighters’ best efforts, 10 people who lived at the assisted living facility were killed, and another remains in the hospital.
Governor Maura Healey met with city officials Tuesday, announcing the state plans to give Fall River $1.2 million in funding to hire more emergency personnel.
Healey said her team is also in the process of a statewide initiative at assisted living facilities, requiring them to fill out a mandatory survey detailing safety protocols, and send letters to family members explaining those measures.
“It is a responsibility of government to take stock, to look at what happened,” Gov. Healey said. “Are there things that could be done or should be done differently with regard to assisted-living facilities or other places that house people, particularly vulnerable residents?”
However, questions regarding the state of the facility remain, such as whether the sprinkler system worked that night.
The Bristol County District Attorney said his office will be looking into all avenues related to the fire and loss of life.
“You should never be smoking near oxygen, and I think that was a significant factor in this,” Davine said. “And it wasn’t just in that origin room, you know we have oxygen throughout that building, and that contributed to the speed of the fire.”
While the cause has been narrowed down to two possibilities, it’s still classified as undetermined.
The District Attorney said the investigation is active, but would not get into specifics of what they’re looking into.
