Sunday’s fatal fire at the Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River killed 9, injured at least 30 and left dozens shocked and devastated in the aftermath.

Several survivors, witnesses and family members shared their experiences as investigators combed through the devastating scene.

Saved from a window

Lorraine Ferrara, one of about 70 residents at the facility, awoke to a neighbor pounding on her door. She tried to make her way through the smoke in the hallway but turned back.

The sprinkler system was shooting hot water on her back, so she retreated into her room. “It was filled with smoke,” she said. “I opened the window as far as I could, yelling ‘Help! Help! Second floor!'”

A firefighter broke the window and carried her down the ladder, she said.

“I really thought I was going to die,” she said. “I thought there was no way out.”

Looking for dad

Jarren Oldrid described the scene as “pretty terrifying” as he tried to figure out if his 67-year-old father, Steven Oldrid, was safe. He found him recovering from smoke inhalation at a hospital.

“It’s kind of just a whirlwind of trying to figure out what’s happening, how this could happen in such a major way,” he said.

Blessing the bodies

Rev. Michael Racine, the city’s fire chaplain, spent the night blessing the bodies of the dead and trying to console survivors, families, staff members and firefighters.

“Nobody in that department has seen what we saw last night. Nobody,” Racine said. “We’ve seen fatalities, which we don’t want to see, but nobody’s seen anything like last night.”

Where will they go

Neal Beck, who had lived at Gabriel House for six years, said he was rescued by ladder from his bathroom window.

“I’ve been homeless before,” Beck said. “I guess I’ll be homeless again.”

Head cook Paul Ferreira was off the clock Sunday night but rushed to the scene and watched as bodies were removed from the building. He grew emotional describing the community of people who have long struggled to find affordable housing.

“Not knowing it was the last time I was cooking for them, it’s sad. They become part of your family,” Ferreira said. “Some of these people have no family members. Where are they going to go now?”