By Charlie McKenna
masslive.com
FALL RIVER, Mass. — When first responders arrived at the Gabriel House in Fall River Sunday night, there was no way to be prepared for what they saw.
The assisted living facility was engulfed in flames, and many of its residents were screaming out their windows, pleading for help. Quickly, first responders called for more help, radio transmissions reveal.
“Bring ladders, all units,” a first responder radioed, according to transmissions posted to broadcastify.com around 9:44 p.m. “It’s completely up in flames.”
First responders went to the scene around 9:40 p.m. Police officers were the first to arrive and worked quickly to break down doors and carry out residents who couldn’t walk, according to the union representing the city’s firefighters.
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Still, it’s not clear when exactly the fire broke out or when the fire department arrived at the scene. Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said the department was notified of the flames by a box alarm in the building around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday.
The department also received a 911 call reporting the fire.
“Complainant is screaming that there is fire and alarms sounding,” a dispatcher radioed. “Unable to figure out exactly what’s going on, but it’s going to be for Gabriel House .”
First responders who made their way into the building found victims on both the second and third floors and called for more personnel to help with rescues.
“I need bodies and ladders. Get in front of the building,” a first responder said.
Later, firefighters at the scene informed a dispatcher that they needed a recall, which prompted numerous off-duty firefighters from across the city to come to the scene and assist in rescue efforts.
“We need a fresh crew,” a firefighter said, adding there were still people trapped on one side of the building who needed to be rescued.
The radio transmissions grew more urgent as the rescue effort unfolded. In many, shouting and screaming can be heard in the background.
About half an hour after being alerted to the fire, firefighters were still working to evacuate people inside, according to the recordings.
“I’ve got a victim inside, severely burnt, I need help,” a firefighter said.
“I need a paramedic and a stretcher to the rear of the building immediately,” a first responder radioed after 10 p.m.
In all, nine people were killed and more than 30 were injured in what is believed to be the deadliest residential fire in the state in decades. Bacon said Tuesday that his department saved dozens of lives.
Five alarms were struck during the response to the fire, drawing roughly 50 firefighters to the scene, 30 of whom were off-duty, officials said. Firefighters from surrounding towns worked to cover fire stations in the city while crews were at the scene.
It was not immediately clear what sparked the fire. About 70 people lived at the facility.
An investigation into the origin and cause was ongoing and would likely take several days, a spokesman for the Department of Fire Services said. Making such a determination is more difficult when a building is extensively damaged, as the Gabriel House was.
Investigators have confirmed the fire does not appear suspicious.
While there were sprinklers in the building, it’s not known if they were working properly at the time of the fire, which is another part of the investigation.
Many of the firefighters who responded to the scene Sunday night will return to work for the first time Wednesday morning.
“They worked themselves harder than they should’ve had to,” Bacon said.
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