At a press conference Tuesday, July 15, outside FRFD headquarters, Bacon said the city has typically relied on overtime for coverage in the event of a crisis -- but in an event like the Gabriel House “you can never have enough staff,” and that he is primarily focused on the lives that were saved.

As flames tore through a Fall River assisted living residence Sunday night, nearly 50 firefighters rushed to rescue the vulnerable population calling for help from their windows. The fire killed nine residents and injured 30 at the Gabriel House Assisted Living Residence.

River Fire Department Chief Jeffrey Bacon gave an update on Sunday's deadly Gabriel House assisted living facility fire that left nine residents dead and and at least 30 hospitalized.

After a devastating fire at an assisted living facility on Oliver Street, Fall River residents are mourning the dead and looking to help the survivors.

Cockroaches, mice and beds without sheets were normal at Gabriel House in Fall River, a resident said a day after the deadly fire. “They didn’t care about people’s lives."

A Massachusetts assisted-living center where nine residents died in a fire was cited for failing to immediately report more than two dozen health and safety incidents, according to

River's fire chief is providing updates on the ongoing investigation and the relocation of displaced residents.

The exact cause of the fire is under investigation, but the DA’s office said it did not appear to be suspicious. The Firefighters Wives Association has set up a GoFundMe page to help those affected by the fire. So far, it has raised more than $30,000.