A tenth person has succumbed to injuries following a devastating fire at an assisted living facility in Fall River, Massachusetts, making it the state’s deadliest fire in four decades.

Brenda Cropper, 66, died Friday while receiving treatment in hospital, after spending nearly a week in critical condition. Her death was confirmed on Saturday by Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III.

The district attorney’s office had prematurely reported her death on Thursday due to what was described as a "miscommunication" with a medical agency.

The fire broke out last Sunday night at Gabriel House, a residence for nearly 70 people. More than 25 others were injured in the blaze, which left a trail of destruction and grief in its wake. The cause remains under investigation.

The incident has also reignited long-standing concerns over fire department staffing. The local firefighters’ union, IAFF Local 1314, criticized city leadership, saying the tragedy could have been mitigated had earlier calls for increased manpower been heeded.

Capt. Frank O’Regan, a union representative, said the department had raised alarm bells for decades over inadequate personnel. “With more boots on the ground, we could have saved more lives,” he said.

However, Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan pushed back, stating that the city had met the department’s most recent staffing requests. He emphasized that shift coverage and deployment were internal decisions made by fire department leadership.

Coogan also noted that the building was equipped with sprinklers and functioning fire alarms, though officials have yet to determine whether all systems operated correctly during the fire.

As investigators work to piece together what triggered the inferno, families of the victims continue to grapple with the devastating toll.