The Bristol County DA Says It Incorrectly Declared a 10th Person Dead in Fall River Fire

The woman is alive, but in critical condition

Nine people died and more than 30 were injured in a fire at an assisted living facility in Fall River, Mass., on July 13, 2025.
Nine people died and more than 30 were injured in a fire at an assisted living facility in Fall River, Mass., on July 13, 2025.
Lindsey Poole / RIPBS
Share
Nine people died and more than 30 were injured in a fire at an assisted living facility in Fall River, Mass., on July 13, 2025.
Nine people died and more than 30 were injured in a fire at an assisted living facility in Fall River, Mass., on July 13, 2025.
Lindsey Poole / RIPBS
The Bristol County DA Says It Incorrectly Declared a 10th Person Dead in Fall River Fire
Copy

The Bristol County District Attorney’s office said Friday it had mistakenly announced that a 10th person had died in the fire at the Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River.

The DA’s office said yesterday that 66-year-old Brenda Cropper had died. But now, the DA said that the mistake was due to “a miscommunication with a medical agency.”

Cropper is still alive, the DA said, but she remains in critical condition.

Nine others died in the Gabriel House fire. An investigation into the fire’s cause is still ongoing, but Fall River Fire Department Chief Jeffrey Bacon said he believes it was accidental.

The DA’s office has not responded to multiple requests for comment from The Public’s Radio.

This weekend, visit the animals at the Roger Williams Park Zoo in a snowy habitat, check out the P-Bruins’ retro jerseys, learn about Rhode Island’s wild coast, or catch a documentary about John Prine. Plus: The Marian Anderson String Quartet plays a concert at RISD to honor Martin Luther King, Jr.
The film celebrates the life and music of legendary songwriter John Prine – featuring interviews, archival footage, and a star-studded lineup of performances by artists like Bonnie Raitt, Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, and Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
Loui’s Family Restaurant, an eccentric greasy spoon in the shadow of Brown University, was a melting pot of Ivy League students, artists, cops, truck drivers and anyone else who might be hungry for a 5 a.m. meal
The Warwick Republican says a desire to ‘be part of the solution’ — for her kids and aging grandmother — led her to the Statehouse
Cigarette butts and beverage bottles decreased in quantity, while foam and plastic pieces are on the rise, new Save the Bay report finds
First Episode of Ocean State: Rhode Island’s Wild Coast is out now!