Massachusetts Fire Fatalities Drop to 44; Tragic Gabriel House Incident Accounts for 10 Lives Lost

Fire deaths in Massachusetts saw a notable decline in 2025, reversing a trend that reached a seven-year high in 2024, as reported by state fire officials. Excluding fatal motor vehicle collisions that resulted in fires, Massachusetts recorded 44 fire deaths across 30 incidents during the year, according to State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine.

Tragically, more than 90% of these fatalities occurred within the victims’ homes. A significant portion of the deaths—10 in total—was attributed to a fire at the Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River, marking a devastating event in the state’s fire history.

This year’s total represents a decrease from the 50 civilian fire deaths recorded in 2024 and aligns with the five-year average of 44 deaths per year from 2020 to 2024. Among the victims was a 4-year-old girl from North Adams, while individuals aged 65 and older accounted for nearly 55% of the fatalities, despite representing only about 17% of the population.

Single-family homes were the site of 14 deaths, followed closely by the tragic incident at Gabriel House, which resulted in the highest loss of life from a single fire in Massachusetts in decades. Additionally, nine fatalities occurred in apartment or multifamily homes, four in mobile homes, and three in two-family residences.

The unsafe use or disposal of smoking materials emerged as the leading cause or a contributing factor in 21 of the fire deaths in 2025, underscoring the dangers of smoking, particularly in environments with medical oxygen. Investigators believe this factor played a role in the Gabriel House fire.

In terms of safety measures, smoke alarm functionality was provisionally assessed for 30 of the 40 residential fire deaths. Alarmingly, only 16 of these homes had working smoke alarms, while the remainder either had non-functional alarms or were missing them entirely.

“Sadly, the places we should feel safest—our homes—are where most people lose their lives to fire,” stated Davine. “Changes in building construction allow fires to grow and spread more rapidly. Synthetic furnishings produce deadly smoke and toxic gases as they burn. The US Fire Administration estimates that we have less time to escape a fire at home than ever before, making it crucial to have working smoke alarms to alert us to danger before it’s too late.”

In addition to residential incidents, four individuals lost their lives in non-residential fires. Three of these fatalities occurred in outdoor fires, including one person who suffered fatal injuries while using illegal fireworks. Another individual was overcome by smoke and flames in a vehicle when the engine caught fire.

Fatal fires tend to peak during the winter months, with November, March, and October being particularly high-risk periods. The distribution of fatal fires throughout the day was relatively even, with notable spikes occurring between 9:00 PM and 4:00 AM.

GRAPHIC: Massachusetts fire deaths by age in 2025. State Fire Marshal graphic.

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Massachusetts

Fire deaths in Massachusetts saw a notable decline in 2025, reversing a trend that reached a seven-year high in 2024, as reported by state fire officials. Excluding fatal motor vehicle collisions that resulted in fires, Massachusetts recorded 44 fire deaths across 30 incidents during the year, according to State Fire Marshal Jon M. Davine.

Tragically, more than 90% of these fatalities occurred within the victims’ homes. A significant portion of the deaths—10 in total—was attributed to a fire at the Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River, marking a devastating event in the state’s fire history.

This year’s total represents a decrease from the 50 civilian fire deaths recorded in 2024 and aligns with the five-year average of 44 deaths per year from 2020 to 2024. Among the victims was a 4-year-old girl from North Adams, while individuals aged 65 and older accounted for nearly 55% of the fatalities, despite representing only about 17% of the population.

Single-family homes were the site of 14 deaths, followed closely by the tragic incident at Gabriel House, which resulted in the highest loss of life from a single fire in Massachusetts in decades. Additionally, nine fatalities occurred in apartment or multifamily homes, four in mobile homes, and three in two-family residences.

The unsafe use or disposal of smoking materials emerged as the leading cause or a contributing factor in 21 of the fire deaths in 2025, underscoring the dangers of smoking, particularly in environments with medical oxygen. Investigators believe this factor played a role in the Gabriel House fire.

In terms of safety measures, smoke alarm functionality was provisionally assessed for 30 of the 40 residential fire deaths. Alarmingly, only 16 of these homes had working smoke alarms, while the remainder either had non-functional alarms or were missing them entirely.

“Sadly, the places we should feel safest—our homes—are where most people lose their lives to fire,” stated Davine. “Changes in building construction allow fires to grow and spread more rapidly. Synthetic furnishings produce deadly smoke and toxic gases as they burn. The US Fire Administration estimates that we have less time to escape a fire at home than ever before, making it crucial to have working smoke alarms to alert us to danger before it’s too late.”

In addition to residential incidents, four individuals lost their lives in non-residential fires. Three of these fatalities occurred in outdoor fires, including one person who suffered fatal injuries while using illegal fireworks. Another individual was overcome by smoke and flames in a vehicle when the engine caught fire.

Fatal fires tend to peak during the winter months, with November, March, and October being particularly high-risk periods. The distribution of fatal fires throughout the day was relatively even, with notable spikes occurring between 9:00 PM and 4:00 AM.

GRAPHIC: Massachusetts fire deaths by age in 2025. State Fire Marshal graphic.

Topics
Massachusetts