The Fall River mayor’s office has confirmed all Gabriel House residents displaced by the tragic Sunday fire that claimed nine lives now have new living arrangements.
In response to an inquiry from MassLive, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office said the city’s director of emergency management, Rick Aguiar, Pastor Tom Mello, the director of Gabriel House, and the Tiamo Center assisted with the placements of all residents needing somewhere to stay. Some have also been taken in by family members.
“As of today, all have been placed,” the spokesperson said, adding that, out of privacy concerns, they would not disclose the facilities where people have been placed.
None of the area nursing homes or assisted living facilities contacted by MassLive would comment on whether they were now housing Gabriel House residents.
Approximately 70 people were displaced by the fire that ripped through the assisted living facility at 261 Oliver St. on Sunday night. The fire broke out around 9:30 p.m., leaving residents hanging out their windows and screaming for help.
Nine people were killed and 30 hurt, with at least one person still in critical condition as of Wednesday afternoon.
Residents told MassLive how they were pulled from bathroom windows that first responders smashed through and carried or helped to safety.
The investigation into the fire remains ongoing, though Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon said the cause is believed to be accidental.
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