FALL RIVER, Mass. (AP) — A fire that killed 10 people at a Massachusetts assisted-living facility was unintentionally caused by either someone smoking or an electrical issue with an oxygen machine, investigators said Tuesday.
The state’s deadliest blaze in more than four decades has highlighted the lack of regulations governing assisted-living facilities that often care for low-income or disabled residents. So far, investigators have remained mum on the possibility of criminal charges related to the fire at Gabriel House in Fall River, and declined to answer when asked during a Tuesday press conference.
The Massachusetts fire marshal, Jon Davine, said the presence of medical oxygen contributed to the fire's spread on the night of July 13. The blaze left some residents of the three-story building hanging out windows and screaming for help.
“Please, there’s truly no safe way to smoke. But smoking is especially dangerous when home oxygen is in use," Davine told reporters on Tuesday.
Investigators are still collecting evidence on numerous aspects of the case, including whether the facility’s sprinkler system worked as it should, said Thomas Quinn, the district attorney for Bristol County. He told reporters there was no sign that electrical outlets, lights, heaters or cooking appliances sparked the fire.
The blaze began in a studio apartment on the second floor of the facility, where investigators found the remains of smoking materials, a battery-powered scooter and an oxygen concentrator. It's hard to know exactly what happened, Davine said, because the person who lived in the room was among the victims of the fire.
Members of the local firefighter’s union have said understaffing made it harder to respond to the blaze, and made the fire deadlier.
Earlier Tuesday, Democratic Gov. Maura Healey said the state was releasing $1.2 million to hire more emergency response personnel for blue-collar city about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Boston. She said additional funds will be fast-tracked for the state’s municipal public safety staffing program.
“We are here today to listen,” Healey said at a news conference, “to make sure that we understand what this community needs now and moving forward in the wake of this tragedy.”
The district attorney’s office identified the 10th victim as Halina Lawler, 70, on Monday. The victims of the fire ranged in age from 61 to 86.
A state agency is doing a monthlong investigation into the 273 assisted-living facilities in Massachusetts to make sure they're ready to protect residents during emergencies, the governor said.
Meanwhile, legal wrangling over who bears responsibility for the Gabriel House fire has already begun.
A resident of Gabriel House filed a lawsuit Monday alleging the facility was not properly managed, staffed or maintained and that “emergency response procedures were not put in place.”
Trapped in his room during the fire, Steven Oldrid was in an “already compromised physical condition” when he suffered smoke inhalation and lost consciousness, according to the complaint. As a result, Oldrid says he has increased mobility restrictions and has racked up medical bills.
George K. Regan Jr., a spokesperson for the facility owned by Dennis Etzkorn, did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the lawsuit. A phone message was also left with Oldrid’s attorney.
Public injury law firm Morgan & Morgan also said last week it was hired to investigate the fire by the family of a resident who died, spokesperson Emily Walsh said, including possible issues with staffing, training and safety equipment.
Etzkorn says he is cooperating with investigations. Gabriel House issued a statement Monday emphasizing the importance of finding out “exactly what caused this catastrophe, and if there were factors that made it worse.”
“Maintaining compliance with all safety and building codes has always been our priority, and there were quarterly inspections of the fire suppression system – the latest as recently as five days prior to the fire,” the facility's spokesperson said.
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Whittle reported from Portland, Maine. Associated Press writer Leah Willingham in Boston contributed.
Kimberlee Kruesi And Patrick Whittle, The Associated Press
