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"Thank God I didn't perish. I thought I was dead."Loraine Ferrara was among the dozens rescued from this week's fire that burned the Gabriel House Assisted Living Residence in Fall River, Massachusetts. Unfortunately, nine of her neighbors did not survive. Firefighters responded to the building at about 9:30 p.m. and immediately encountered heavy smoke and trapped residents hanging out of their windows, screaming for help.Ferrara said that a neighbor woke her up by banging on her door, but she didn't respond immediately to the warning. When she got out of bed and opened the door, she encountered the thick smoke. "It was horrendous smoke. Heavy, heavy, heavy smoke. I'd never seen anything like it in my life. I couldn't breathe," said Ferrara. Ferrara said her apartment was near the exit door, but she couldn't get to it. Instead, she went into the bathroom and opened the window. "I should've been able to get out, but I couldn't," she said. She said that firefighters broke a window to get her out and carried her down the ladder. "I really thought I was going to meet my maker," Ferrara said, tearfully. "I did think that, so I'm so thankful to be alive." Video below: 'I'm so thankful to be alive'Al Manza said he grabbed his oxygen tank and was trying to escape, but he also encountered thick smoke. "I went to my apartment door, my room door, I opened it, and all the smoke from the hall went right in my face. All I could do was just stand there and choke. I thought it was going to be the end of everything," Manza said. He said two police officers grabbed him by his arms and guided him down the stairs to safety. Video below: 'I thought it was going to be the end'The police department, fire department and EMS rescued "dozens" of residents from the facility to save multiple lives, Fall River Fire Department Chief Jeffrey Bacon said. "This is an unfathomable tragedy for the families involved and the Fall River community,” Bacon said. “On behalf of the Fall River Fire Department, I want to express our heartfelt condolences to the loved ones who are grieving this morning."Some of the nine victims died at the scene, while others died after they were transported to local hospitals. One of the 30 people who was hospitalized remains in critical condition. Five firefighters who were transported to hospitals with minor injuries were later released. The fire damage was contained to one wing of the building; however, the smoke damage is throughout the entire facility, officials said.Displaced residents who survived the fire were taken to a shelter. Fall River Mayor Paul Coogan said the space is usually used as an overflow shelter during the winter but was temporarily activated to help with this emergency.