It was an emotional evening Monday as dozens gathered to remember the 10 residents who were killed in a devastating fire that ripped through a Fall River assisted living facility last year.

 

The tragedy at Gabriel House on July 13, 2025, shook the city to its core and marked the state’s deadliest fire in more than 40 years.

 

Firefighters rushed to the assisted living facility early that morning after receiving several 911 calls from inside the building. Those firefighters were immediately met with thick black smoke, roaring flames and trapped residents hanging out of windows.

 

More than 30 residents and five firefighters were rushed to nearby hospitals to receive treatment for various injuries.

 

There were approximately 70 residents of varying mobility living at the Gabriel House, which first opened in 1999, at the time of fire. The residents who survived their injuries or escaped unharmed lost nearly everything in the fire, including a place to live.

 

The city hosted a special remembrance ceremony on Olive Street directly outside of the assisted living facility, which remains boarded up and fenced off.