FALL RIVER, Mass. — Seven survivors of the deadly fire at a Fall River assisted living facility are suing the building’s owners and the sprinkler company that outfitted the complex.
In a lawsuit filed on Wednesday, seven survivors of July’s fire said they were trapped in their rooms as smoke filled the Gabriel House, preventing them from escaping.
In the civil action complaint, Albert Almanza, Larry Ashworth, Muriel Boyce, Shirley Cambra, Lorraine Ferrera, Caroline Johnson and James Vicery claim “egregious violations” by Gabriel House owner Daniel Etzkorn, his wife Karen Etzkorn and Fire Systems Inc. They say the fire exposed serious failures with the building and a lack of emergency plans.
The survivors say that not all of the sprinklers in the building went off, including the one in the room where the fire started.
Etzkorn says the sprinklers were checked five days before and were in working order.
The Massachusetts State Fire Marshal’s office says the fire was likely started by improper disposal of smoking materials or the failure of an oxygen purifier.
Three residents had previously filed a claim against the Gabriel House earlier this month.
Nearly a decade ago, the Fall River facility temporarily lost its certification due to resident mistreatment, the Associated Press reported.
In the wake of the fire, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has since announced a new safety initiative.
It requires all 273 assisted living facilities in the Commonwealth to send letters to residents and families outlining safety protocols and evacuation plans. There’s also a new safety assessment survey these facilities must complete, as well as specify their disaster and emergency plans.
Mayor Paul Coogan and IAFF General President Edward Kelly said in the days after the fire that staffing levels at the Fall River Fire Department will increase immediately.
The staffing changes came days after the union said inadequate staffing hindered the response to a fire.
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