[Tom Tetroxide]

Cause of the fire was probably something left on a stove burner.

[Deaf Smith]

I am glad the last sentence of the posted excerpt made things more clear.

That Fall River, Massachusetts is on the Massachusetts side of the state line.

[metmom]

Probably wood frame construction and I wonder how many patients were on oxygen.

[lastchance]

No sprinklers. Many states are requiring older assisted living facilities to be retrofitted usually based on criteria such as over a certain occupancy limit and building height and type of construction.

Mass. law does not require such retrofit for all buildings but does provides the following,

“The state also established a local option to permit municipalities to require that sprinklers be provided in all
boarding homes with more than five residents.”