The fire in a Fall River assisted living facility that resulted in 10 deaths and dozens of injuries started in a resident’s room, according to Massachusetts Fire Marshal Jon Davine.The fire is considered to be unintentional. Previous version:One former resident is suing as public officials continue work on emergency response capabilities following a deadly fire at the Gabriel House Assisted Living Facility in Fall River, Massachusetts.Ten residents died in the fire that began the evening of July 13. The victims of the fire ranged in age from 61 to 86.Dozens of others were injured.According to a lawsuit filed Monday in Bristol Superior Court, Steven Oldrid was a resident living in a studio apartment of the Gabriel House. Oldrid alleges that he was trapped in his room during the fire, suffered smoke inhalation and respiratory distress, and ultimately lost consciousness. Oldrid also alleges that conditions were unsafe prior to the fire. “The subject facility was not properly managed, staffed, maintained, or supervised; residency rules were not enforced; and emergency response procedures were not in place,” the lawsuit states. Oldrid said the negligent state of the facility when the fire struck caused him to “suffer injury to an already compromised physical state.”Oldrid’s lawsuit may not be the only legal action brewing in response to the fire. He is represented by Plymouth-based attorney Michael O’Malley, but a spokesperson for injury law firm Morgan & Morgan said last week that they were retained by the family of another resident. On Tuesday, Gov. Maura Healey and Fall River officials met at City Hall. Afterward, the governor announced that her administration would expedite funding for Fall River and nine other communities to hire more first responders. She said Fall River would receive $1.2 million of the $5.7 million program. Video below: Gov. Healey in Fall RiverLast week, Mayor Paul Coogan and the firefighters’ union announced a plan to use overtime shifts to staff more of the city’s fire trucks with four firefighters, instead of three. Later Tuesday, the Bristol County district attorney’s office is expected to hold a news conference to provide an update on the investigation. Although the cause of the fire remains unknown, authorities have said it does not appear to be suspicious.Gabriel House is owned by Dennis Etzkorn, who has said he is cooperating with investigations into the blaze.The owners of the Gabriel House issued this statement about the fire Monday through spokesperson George Regan:”There are no words to adequately convey the depths of our grief and shock over the devastating events of July 13 at the Gabriel House. Indeed, to call what occurred that night a tragedy is an understatement. Our hearts are broken for the victims and their families; their losses will never be forgotten.”We are eternally grateful to the Fall River Fire Department and Fall River Police Department for their heroic response to the fire, and we also thank the ambulance companies and medical personnel who provided exemplary and compassionate care to our victims.”The Gabriel House has been a fixture in the community for decades, and our staff – half of whom have been with us for 10 years or more – is deeply dedicated to improving the lives of our residents every day. We take pride in knowing that we make assisted living possible for many community members in need who might not otherwise be able to obtain that assistance. We are currently providing temporary housing to residents who were displaced by the fire.”Ensuring the safety of our residents has always been our paramount responsibility since our purchase of Gabriel House in late 1999. 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.”Gabriel House continues to work closely with state and local fire investigators as they seek the cause, origin, and potential contributing factors to the fire, and have provided them with all records related to the building’s safety.”One focus of the investigation has been the status of the building’s fire suppression system, or sprinkler system, and investigators have taken several sprinkler heads for further investigation. Among the information we have provided is documentation of regular tests of the sprinklers by the vendor, the most recent of which was performed on July 8 of this year. That test reported the sprinkler system to be in working order.”We will continue to provide investigators with whatever assistance they need. We, like them, realize the importance of knowing exactly what caused this catastrophe, and if there were factors that made it worse. Our community, our residents, and most of all, the families who have suffered these unimaginable losses, deserve nothing less. We deeply value our standing in the Fall River community and will continue to strive every day to be a responsible, compassionate, and caring neighbor.”

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