Support WBUR
10th person dies following Fall River assisted living facility fire
Update Saturday, July 19: Brenda Cropper died in the hospital on Friday, not Wednesday as originally reported. The Bristol County district attorney's office says it mistakenly announced her death.
Original story:
A woman has died from injuries sustained in the Fall River assisted living facility fire, bring the total death toll to 10.
Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced the death of 66-year-old Brenda Cropper on Thursday. She had been hospitalized in critical condition since the fire late Sunday night Gabriel House. Cropper died on Wednesday night, the district attorney said.
The other victims are Rui Albernaz, 64; Ronald Codega, 61; Margaret Duddy, 69; Robert King, 78; Kim Mackin, 71; Richard Rochon, 78; and Eleanor Willett, 86. Two others, a 70-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man, have not been publicly identified.
The district attorney's office said the investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing. The office is investigating along with the state police and Fall River fire and police departments. Authorities said that at this point they believe the fire was accidental.
Along with the 10 victims, 30 others were injured in the chaotic fire. First responders described taxing rescues, made more difficult as many of the people trapped in the building had mobility issues and air conditioning units blocking window access.
The International Association of Fire Fighters claimed Monday that a shortage of on-duty firefighters hampered the response to the deadly fire. As a result, Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan announced Wednesday that the city will hire up to 20 additional firefighters and offer greater overtime to increase the number of crew members working each shift.
Questions have come up about the facility's safety, including if it had enough staff to care for its vulnerable population and if the residents had an appropriate amount of emergency preparedness training. A resident and employee said they had never been part of a fire drill.
