Investigators have ruled out all but two possible causes of the July 13 fire at a Fall River assisted living facility that killed 10 residents and injured nearly three dozen residents and firefighters.
In a statement today, the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services said the Gabriel House fire started in a resident’s room, which contained an oxygen concentrator and “numerous” smoking materials.
It remains unclear if the machine suffered an electrical or mechanical failure, or if the fire originated with the smoking materials.
Speaking in Fall River today, Gov. Maura Healey said the state is working to ensure the safety of the growing number of people who reside in assisted living — in part through a new commission created earlier this year.
“It is the responsibility of government to take stock, and to look at what happened, and are there things that could be done or should be done differently with regard to assisted living facilities,” she said.
Healey said the Assisted Living Residences Commission had been ready to issue recommendations when the fire happened, but will now take more time, “to make sure that anything that could have been learned from this experience, this tragedy, is accounted for.”
Investigators believe having medical oxygen in the building played a significant role in the fire’s rapid spread, according to the Department of Fire Services.
Healey said she plans to expedite a grant of $1.2 million to the City of Fall River to hire more emergency personnel. The money comes from the Municipal Public Safety Staffing Program, which makes grants to communities that have a population of at least 60,000 and where the police budget is relatively small — less than $200 per capita as of 2010.
Asked if she was acknowledging that Fall River did not have enough resources at the time of the fire, the governor replied, “Absolutely not. What I'm doing is underscoring what has always been my commitment to first responders to public safety.”
Last week, the Fall River firefighters’ union said the city had committed to putting four firefighters on each of the city’s six engine companies. Previously, only two engines met that standard set by the National Fire Protection Association, the union said.
In a press conference with Healey, Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said putting four people on an engine will initially require overtime, but the department plans to develop a financial model to hire more staff and fill those roles.
Across the state, 10 communities meet the criteria for the police and fire staffing grants: Brockton, Fall River, Framingham, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Newton, and Somerville. The governor said her staff will speed the release of funds for all of this year’s grants.
