Overview

• Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon announced that state and local investigators have determined the five-alarm fire at Gabriel House was accidental and are probing how it started in a second-floor room.
• The Bristol County District Attorney’s office has named eight of the nine residents killed and is withholding the ninth victim’s identity pending family notification.
• Two survivors remain in critical condition at Rhode Island Hospital, and the temporary shelter at the Timao Center has been closed as displaced residents find longer-term housing.
• Bacon praised the Fall River Fire Department’s Engine 5 crew for advancing two hose lines under extreme conditions, actions he said prevented what could have been a far deadlier blaze.
• The tragedy has reignited scrutiny of assisted-living oversight in Massachusetts, highlighting minimal state regulations and prior safety complaints at the 1964 facility.