Fall River Assisted‑Living Fire Ruled Accidental With Two Potential Causes

FALL RIVER (WBSM) — The fire that claimed 10 lives at the Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility in Fall River last week has been ruled accidental, officials announced today, along with two potential causes of the blaze.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III held a press conference at his Fall River office this afternoon regarding the July 13 fire, along with Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon and State Fire Marshal Jon Davine.

Quinn said that preliminary investigation revealed that the fire was accidental and not intentionally set.

READ MORE: Complete Coverage of the Gabriel House Fatal Fire

Possible Ignition Sources: Oxygen vs. Smoking

According to Davine, the fire began in a resident’s room located on the left side of the second floor of the structure.

“We found no evidence of an intentionally-set fire,” he said. “No signs of cooking, lighting, heating, or electrical outlets or other appliances contributing to the ignition of this fire. They found no candles, incense or related items.”

He said investigators did find the damaged remains of a battery-powered scooter, but that is believed to be “a product of the fire rather than the cause.”

“Investigators also identified an oxygen concentrator and numerous smoking materials in the room,” he said.

The resident of the room was one of the nine people who perished in the fire – the 10th victim passed away from her injuries on July 18 – so investigators “could not speak to the resident to get an account of the fire in its earliest stages,” Davine said.

READ MORE: Final Fall River Fire Victim Identified

Davine said the available evidence pointed to two possible causes: either an electrical or mechanical failure involving the oxygen concentrator, or the improper use or disposal of smoking materials.

He said that per the NFPA 921, the National Fire Prevention Association’s guide for fire and explosive investigations, any time investigators cannot narrow down multiple factors to just one cause, the fire is classified as “undetermined” at this time.

“This fire is classified as undetermined with two possible ignition sources, both of which were clearly accidental,” Davine said. He later commented that “we may not be able to define between the two.”

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Role of Oxygen in Fire Spread

Davine also said that the presence of so many oxygen concentrators and tanks in the facility helped to fuel the fire.

"Regardless of the exact cause, there's one additional factor we need to address. Investigators believe the presence of medical oxygen played a significant role in the fire's rapid spread and the ensuing tragedy,” he said. “Oxygen is a necessary component of any fire, and it was present in the area of origin and other locations at Gabriel House. In an oxygen-rich environment, the fire will ignite more readily and spread more rapidly, and burn at higher temperatures.”

READ MORE: Massachusetts Invests $1.2M After Deadly Fall River Fire

Davine said no one should smoke, but especially not around oxygen.

“Nothing will undo what happened at Gabriel House, but we can do everything we can to understand it and prevent it from ever happening again,” he said.

Reviewing Sprinkler and Safety Compliance

Quinn said there are other aspects of the ongoing investigation that cannot be discussed at this point. He did say that the sprinklers in the Gabriel House are part of that investigation, and that “evidence is being collected and evaluated” regarding them.

A Department of Fire Services release stated that:

Quinn would not comment on if smoking was allowed in the rooms at the facility. He also did not respond to a reporter’s question if criminal charges may be filed in the future.