The assisted living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, that caught fire in mid-July, killing 10 people, had safety certification problems in 2023 but after a preliminary look into the cause, the state fire marshal says the fire likely stemmed from a resident’s oxygen tank. Either the tank malfunctioned or oxygen from the tank ignited after the resident failed to safely dispose of a cigarette.
"Oxygen is a necessary component of any fire," State Fire Marshal Jon Davine said at a news conference last week, NBC News reported. "And it was present in the area of origin and other locations…. In an oxygen-rich environment, the fire will ignite more readily and spread more rapidly and burn at higher temperatures."
Because there are two possible causes — an oxygen tank malfunction or an improperly disposed of cigarette —the official cause of the fire at the facility, called Gabriel House, is “undetermined,” Davine said.
Early reports on the fire focused on problems the facility had in meeting its assisted living certification requirements in 2023.
In its inspection of the facility that year, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Aging and Independence said the 100-unit facility was out of compliance with more than a half-dozen state regulations, NBC reported. The problems had to do with management of medical protocols and paperwork — missing documentation, issues with medication and late reporting of resident incidents — not the safety of the facility’s mechanical or electrical systems, or smoke detectors and sprinklers.
"[Authorities] found no signs that cooking, lighting, heating, electrical outlets or other appliances contributed to the ignition of this fire," Davine said.
The Office of Aging certified the facility after its management team submitted a plan to correct its deficiencies. The facility was scheduled to be assessed for certification again in November.
Richard Aguiar, deputy chief of Fall River’s Emergency Management Agency, told USA Today that the sprinkler system was old, but at the time of the fire, it and the smoke detectors were working. “Sprinklers aren’t designed to put a fire out,” he said. “Sprinklers are designed to hold a fire back so we can come in and put the fire out.”
The sprinkler system was tested as recently as July 8 and determined to be in working order, George Regan Jr., a spokesperson for Gabriel House, said, according to the NBC report.
Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said he didn't want to comment on the state of the sprinkler system until investigators had more time to complete their work, USA Today said.
Oxygen tanks were a factor in about 20 fire deaths and more than three dozen injuries in Massachusetts over the last 10 years, and it was a suspected factor in others, Davine said at the news conference, Fox News reported.
