BOSTON – The Massachusetts Fire Marshal’s Office has released its review of 2025, noting that fire deaths in the state declined last year but adding that the devastating Gabriel House Fire in Fall River represented the greatest loss of life to a single fire incident in the state in decades.
The fire at the assisted living facility last summer claimed ten lives.
Excluding fatal motor vehicle collisions with an ensuing fire, Massachusetts recorded 44 fire deaths in 30 fires during 2025, which was a decline from the 50 civilian fire deaths recorded in 2024.
The unsafe use or disposal of smoking materials was the known cause or a possible factor in 21 fire deaths, making it by far the most common factor and continuing a decades-long trend. Smoking is especially dangerous in the presence of medical oxygen, which the Fire Marshal’s Office said evidently contributed to the blaze at the assisted living center.
State Fire Marshal Davine said, “Changes to building construction allow fires to grow and spread faster… the U.S. Fire Administration estimates that we have less time to escape a fire at home than ever before, so it’s vital to have working smoke alarms to alert us to the danger before it’s too late.”
By Jim McCabe, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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