Overview

• Investigators have opened a detailed inquiry into whether smoking near an oxygen tank or clogged sprinkler heads may have triggered the late-night blaze that killed ten elderly residents.
• The Fall River Police Department released more than five minutes of body-worn footage Thursday showing officers forcing entry into smoke-filled corridors and carrying immobile residents to safety.
• Inspection reports posted online show no major fire-safety violations since 2020, but state inspectors had not visited Gabriel House since October 2023, exposing oversight gaps.
• Displaced residents and relatives have reported longstanding pest infestations, equipment malfunctions and unsanitary conditions that may have worsened risks.
• Union leaders warned that firehouses were understaffed during the blaze and city officials have pledged overtime and new hires to bolster fire department shifts.