The fire broke out the evening of July 13, trapping residents inside and forcing first responders to pull people through windows.

Gabriel House had seen better days. But for residents and their families, it was the center of a caring community.

Assisted living centers are rare in Mass, but many families still don’t know what they offer or how they differ from other elder care facilities.

Gabriel House was an assisted living residence, according to the state of Massachusetts. Here's how the state defines that

The Massachusetts assisted-living facility where a fatal fire killed nine people was caring for dozens of aging residents reliant on wheelchairs and oxygen tanks, but it lacked the safety measures and most of the staffing requirements that are commonplace in nursing homes.