Forty Fall River firefighters were honored Friday night for their actions during the deadly Gabriel House fire that killed 10 people in the summer of 2025.
The tragedy became Massachusetts’ deadliest fire in more than 40 years.
Chief Jeffrey Bacon called firefighters to the stage at Kuss Middle School, recognizing the actions that helped save at least 53 residents from the assisted living facility when flames erupted on July 13, 2025.
“Thank God we’re not good at this. We don’t do this often, and I hope we never do it again,” Bacon said.
Among those honored was Nathanial Anderson, who received the Medal of Valor.
Anderson was credited with carrying residents out of the building without protective gear before being sent to the hospital for dehydration.
“He left the emergency department and walked back to the scene shirtless to continue the work that needed to be done,” Bacon said during the ceremony as he was awarded.
Gov. Maura Healey told the firefighters Friday, “What you did that night was extraordinary.”
State and local leaders described the ceremony as bittersweet as Fall River, its first responders and the families affected by the fire continue to heal.
Deputy Chief Neil Furtado, who was at the scene that night, handed out medals that each represented specific acts of bravery.
“I won’t lie, I shed some tears that night. You relive it a lot as a first responder. We relive a lot of emotionally charged events,” Furtado said.
“They do this every day, and they live this every day,” Furtado added.
Jon Ponte was one of many parents who watched his son, CJ Ponte, a Fall River firefighter and truck engineer, receive two medals: the Meritorious Medal of Service and the Life-Saving Medal of Honor. CJ Ponte usually supplies water but began fighting the fire and helping people out of windows that night.
“It’s hard to say how proud I am,” Jon Ponte said. “It’s rewarding for me to see he’s honored like this.”
CJ Ponte said the recognition belongs to the survivors, victims and their families.
“I think this is more for them than it is for us,” Ponte said.
“You’ll never see any of us look for recognition,” CJ Ponte said. “It’s just not something we do it for. We do it because we love it. We do it because it’s a calling.”
Bacon said only six firefighters were initially nominated for awards for the ceremony. He credited the humility in his department.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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