Elderly residents – some in wheelchairs and some dependent on oxygen tanks – were blinded by deadly smoke as they tried to escape an assisted-living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, which caught fire Sunday evening.

Questions about Gabriel House living conditions and emergency preparedness continue to swirl following Sunday’s deadly fire.

When the deadly fire broke out Sunday night at Gabriel House in Fall River, Massachusetts, the assisted living facility had 70 residents, but how many staff members were working? Paul Lanzikos is with the advocacy group Dignity Alliance,

A Massachusetts assisted-living center where nine residents died in a fire was cited for failing to immediately report more than two dozen health and safety incidents.

At a press conference Tuesday, July 15, outside FRFD headquarters, Bacon said the city has typically relied on overtime for coverage in the event of a crisis -- but in an event like the Gabriel House “you can never have enough staff,” and that he is primarily focused on the lives that were saved.

Survivors are speaking out after a fire at a Massachusetts assisted living facility killed nine people as staff and firefighters are being criticized for how they responded to the blaze.

The investigation into the fire’s cause is ongoing but “does not appear to be suspicious,” according to the Bristol County district attorney's office.

It’s important to note that these allegations did not involve the Gabriel House assisted living facility and were unrelated to safety concerns.