Fire inspection says Gabriel House had working sprinklers, evacuation maps, and held drills

FALL RIVER, Mass. — The assisted living facility that caught fire Sunday had working sprinklers and posted evacuation maps, according to an August 2024 fire inspection report.

Ten people died as a result of the blaze. Five were still hospitalized Thursday, including one in critical condition.

The one-page inspection report released Thursday morning showed the Gabriel House also had an adequate number of fire extinguishers, along with alarms for heat, smoke, and carbon monoxide. The inspection noted the facility had generally good housekeeping, with nothing blocking exits or stairways.

The Gabriel House received a pair of checkmarks for conducting fire drills and keeping its log book up to date. The inspection, conducted on August 9, 2024, listed the last fire drill as June 11, less then two months prior.

But there are questions about how those fire drills were conducted and who participated. Fall River’s fire chief said he was not surprised to hear residents at the facility could not recall any fire drills.

Chief Jeff Bacon said it’s not uncommon for some facilities to conduct drills with staff only.

“In hospitals, the fire drills are for staff,” Bacon said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. “They’re not evacuating a hospital, so the patients don’t know a fire drill is happening. I’m not surprised in this case that some of the residents weren’t aware of it. It’s so the staff is aware of what their responsibilities are in the event of a fire. It’s not for the patients or the residents.”

Fire inspections going back to at least 2019 showed the Gabriel House was generally in compliance. Among the handwritten notes on the 2024 inspection was a comment to add a carbon monoxide detector to the building’s laundry room.

Boston 25 has reached out to the facility’s owner but has not heard back.

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