Coordinates: 37°46′40″N 122°13′38″W / 37.777743°N 122.227117°W / 37.777743; -122.227117

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==External links==
==External links==
{{sisterlinks |d=Q27950749 |c=Category:2016 Oakland, California warehouse fire |b=no |v=no |voy=no |m=no |mw=no |species=no |s=no |wikt=no |q=no |n=Oakland, California record release party catches fire}}
{{sisterlinks |Oakland, California record release party catches fire |d=Q27950749 |c=Category:2016 Oakland, California warehouse fire |b=no |v=no |voy=no |m=no |mw=no |species=no |s=no |wikt=no |q=no |n=yes}}
* [http://www.oaklandghostship.com/ Oakland Ghost Ship website]
* [http://www.oaklandghostship.com/ Oakland Ghost Ship website]


Revision as of 12:19, 5 December 2016

2016 Oakland warehouse fire
A block with a burned out warehouse and a fire truck
The warehouse's block the morning after the fire, with the burned building in the center
DateDecember 2, 2016 (2016-12-02)
Time23:30 (PST)
VenueOakland Ghost Ship warehouse
Location1305 31st Avenue, Oakland, California, U.S.
Coordinates37°46′40″N 122°13′38″W / 37.777743°N 122.227117°W / 37.777743; -122.227117
TypeFire
Deaths33 confirmed[1]
Non-fatal injuries2[2]
MissingAt least 35[3]

On December 2, 2016, at around 11:30 p.m. Pacific Time, a fire broke out in a converted warehouse, known locally as the Oakland Ghost Ship, that served as an artist collective in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland, California. At the time of the fire, the warehouse was hosting a concert promoted by the house music record label 100% Silk,[4] and featuring several musicians from its roster.[5]

At least 33 people were killed in the fire, the deadliest in the history of Oakland,[3][6] the deadliest event in the city since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake,[7] and one of the deadliest building fires in the U.S. in the last 50 years.[8]

Fire

The fire started in a 4,000-square-foot (370 m2) converted warehouse, known locally as the Oakland Ghost Ship. The space was home to the Ghost Ship Artist Collective, a collective of artists who worked at the warehouse.[9]

It is not known what caused the fire. It took four to five hours for 52 firefighters to extinguish the blaze. The effort involved 11 fire engines and three fire trucks.[10][11] A search of the building was impeded when the roof collapsed.[11] Drone aircraft were deployed to search for survivors using thermal imaging, but none were found.[12]

Multiple factors may have contributed to the loss of life. There were no fire sprinklers in the building, and firefighters on scene heard no smoke detectors. Upon entering the building, firefighters found it was cluttered with furniture, art, and mannequins.[13] Oakland Fire Department Chief Teresa Deloach Reed told reporters, "It was like a maze, almost."[6] Deloach Reed said that it appeared that the only exit from the second floor was a makeshift stairway made of stacked wooden pallets.[6][14] The stairway was quickly incinerated in the blaze, trapping victims on the second floor.[15]

In a December 4 interview with The Today Show, Max Ohr, creative director of the Ghost Ship Artist Collective, confirmed that there were no sprinklers in the building. Ohr also said that the collective had reported electrical problems to the owner of the building.[16]

Around 50 people were present in the building at the time of the fire, and at least 33 were reported dead by police.[1][3] Thirty-five are reportedly missing.[3][7][17] Officials are expecting the number of deaths to be closer to 40.[11][14] Few serious but non-lethal injuries were reported; Alameda County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Sgt. Ray Kelly said, "It appears that people either made it out, or they didn’t make it out."[18] A representative from Oakland's Highland Hospital reported receiving two patients, one of whom was discharged by December 4.[2]

Of the musicians scheduled to perform at the concert, only two—headliner Golden Donna (the stage name for musician Joel Shanahan)[5][19] and Aja Archuleta[3]—were confirmed to have escaped the fire. Electro-industrial performer Joey Casio, who was scheduled to perform at the concert under the name Obsidian Blade, was confirmed to have died.[20][21] Two other musicians on the bill—outsider house artist Cherushii (Chelsea Faith) and disc jockey Nackt (Johnny Igaz)—were listed as missing.[20][22] Another musician, Cash Askew, the guitarist for the San Francisco dream pop band Them Are Us Too, was confirmed to have died in the fire.[21]

Investigation

A small fire station with an American flag and police SUV in front
Fire Station 13, which is a block away from the blaze

Before the fire, the building had already been under investigation by the Oakland Planning and Building Department for structural deficiencies.[15] A spokesperson for the department noted that an event like Friday night's concert would have required a special permit, but none had been issued.[10] Complaints of hazardous garbage and construction debris around the building had also been made.[23] City building inspectors had visited the warehouse on November 17, but left when no one answered the door.[24]

Although the collective did not intend the warehouse to be a housing accommodation for any of the artists,[25] the city is investigating whether people were living in the warehouse illegally.[10][26] Although the city had labeled the warehouse a "fire hazard", the Ghost Ship Artist Collective's founder allegedly did not respond to the city's concerns.[27] The building owner, Chor Ng, stated on December 4 that she did not know people were living in the warehouse.[16]

A criminal investigation into the fire was launched by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office on December 4.[24][28]

Reactions

Mayor Libby Schaaf referred to the fire as "an immense tragedy".[15][29] Governor Jerry Brown issued a statement extending his condolences.[30] Congressperson Barbara Lee expressed sympathy for the victims and gratitude to the firefighters and first responders, and promised support in securing any needed federal assistance.[31] Other state officials expressing condolences included Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, Attorney General and U.S. Senator-elect Kamala Harris, and Assemblyperson Rob Bonta.[32]

In an interview, Oakland City Council member Noel Gallo said that city officials "need to enforce the codes that we have" and that "we should have been more assertive in the past".[33]

The Oakland A's baseball team offered to match donations for those affected, up to $30,000; the Oakland Raiders football team soon joined them.[15][34][35] The Oakland-based Golden State Warriors basketball team announced a donation of $50,000 to the Fruitvale-based Unity Council.[36] A Facebook Safety Check was deployed to help people find the whereabouts of friends and family who might have been in attendance.[37]

On December 3, the record label 100% Silk posted on their Facebook page: "What happened in Oakland is an unbelievable tragedy, a nightmare scenario. Britt and I are beside ourselves, utterly devastated. We are a very tight community of artists and we are all praying, sending love and condolences to everyone involved and their families."[38]

After the fire, a man identified as the Ghost Ship Art Collective's founder, Derick Ion Almena,[39][40] posted on Facebook, mourning that the fire had destroyed his warehouse. This post was criticized by several other Facebook users, who noted that the collective's founder had not mentioned anything about the people killed or injured in the fire.[41]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Michael Edison Hayden; Dean Schabner (December 4, 2016). "33 Bodies Recovered in Oakland Warehouse Fire; Search Continues". ABC News. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Dan Simon; Steve Almasy; Max Blau (December 3, 2016). "Oakland fire kills at least 9 at warehouse party". CNN. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e Thomas Fuller; Jonah Engel Bromwich; Conor Dougherty (December 4, 2016). "Death Toll in Deadly Warehouse Fire Rises to 33 as Search Goes On". The New York Times. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  4. ^ Seth Kelley (December 4, 2016). "Oakland Fire Kills at Least 30 at Record Label Warehouse Party". Variety. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Randall Roberts (December 4, 2016). "Oakland concert struck by deadly fire featured artists on L.A. dance label 100% Silk". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  6. ^ a b c Julia Prodis Sulek; Erin Baldassari; Matthias Gafni; Tracy Seipel (December 3, 2016). "Oakland fire: 24 bodies recovered from warehouse, search on for more". The Mercury News. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  7. ^ a b "Oakland fire: Dozens feared dead in club night blaze". BBC News. December 4, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  8. ^ Phil McCausland (December 4, 2016). "'Ghost Ship' One of Country's Deadliest Building Fires in Half-Century". NBC News. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  9. ^ Olga R. Rodriguez (December 3, 2016). "Warehouse gutted by blaze was home to Bohemian art space". U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  10. ^ a b c Rhea Mahbubani; Jessica Rice (December 3, 2016). "At Least 9 Killed, Dozens More Feared Dead After Fire Rips Through Oakland Warehouse Party". NBC Bay Area. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  11. ^ a b c Elizabeth Weise; Aamer Madhani (December 4, 2016). "Authorities: More than 2 dozen may be dead in Oakland warehouse fire". USA Today. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  12. ^ Rory Carroll; Peter Henderson (December 3, 2016). "California warehouse fire kills at least nine at dance party". Reuters. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  13. ^ Liam Dillon; Ben Poston; David Zahniser; Laura J. Nelson (December 4, 2016). "Oakland warehouse was a cluttered 'death trap' filled with pianos, RVs, but no fire sprinklers, former residents say". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  14. ^ a b Russ Mitchell; Peter H. King; Liam Dillon; Tracey Lien; Paige St. John (December 3, 2016). "Officials fear up to 40 dead in fire during concert at Oakland warehouse". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  15. ^ a b c d Elizabeth Chuck; Ali Gostanian; Rebecca Sai; Erin Calabrese (December 3, 2016). "At Least 9 Dead, More Missing After Fire During California Warehouse Party". NBC News. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  16. ^ a b Daniella Silva (December 4, 2016). "Oakland Warehouse Fire Survivors Describe Escape From Blaze as Confirmed Death Toll Rises to 33". NBC News. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  17. ^ Hamed Aleaziz; Michael Cabanatuan; Kevin Fagan (December 4, 2016). "Building in deadly Oakland fire lacked permits, officials say". SFGate. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  18. ^ Tim Bontemps; Kristine Guerra; Ana Swanson (December 4, 2016). "'They were trapped in this inferno': Oakland officials fear dozens are dead in fire". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  19. ^ "Electronic Artist Headlining Oakland Rave Survived Fatal Fire". CBS San Francisco. December 3, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  20. ^ a b Sam Lefebvre (December 3, 2016). "Artists at Last Night's Oakland Warehouse Fire Discuss The Tragedy, Those Missing, Need for Safe Underground Spaces". East Bay Express. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  21. ^ a b Noah Yoo (December 4, 2016). "Them Are Us Too's Cash Askew Among the Confirmed Dead in Oakland Fire". Pitchfork. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  22. ^ Andy Hermann (December 3, 2016). "At Least 33 Dead in Oakland Warehouse Fire at Event for L.A.-Based Label 100% Silk". L.A. Weekly. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  23. ^ Sam Levin; Alan Yuhas (December 3, 2016). "Oakland warehouse party fire leaves nine dead and 25 missing". The Guardian. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  24. ^ a b Rick Hurd; Matthias Gafni; Julia Prodis Sulek; Erin Baldassari; Traci Seipel (December 4, 2016). "Death toll reaches 33 in Oakland warehouse fire; criminal investigation under way". The Mercury News. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  25. ^ Paige St. John (December 3, 2016). "Officials preparing for up to 40 fatalities in Oakland warehouse fire". Los Angeles Times. ISSN 0458-3035. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  26. ^ Jill Tucker; Rachel Swan; Erin Allday; J.K. Dineen (December 4, 2016). "Oakland building where fire victims died was source of complaints". SFGate. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  27. ^ Dan Noyes (December 4, 2016). "Ex-employees say Ghost Ship founder disregarded fire hazard warnings". ABC7 San Francisco. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  28. ^ St. John, Paige; Willon, Phil; Lien, Tracey; Parvini, Sarah; Karlamangla, Soumya. "Names of seven victims released in Oakland fire, as death toll rises to 33". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 5, 2016.
  29. ^ Thomas Fuller; Eli Rosenberg; Conor Dougherty (December 3, 2016). "Fire at Warehouse Party in Oakland Kills at Least 9, With Dozens Missing". The New York Times. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  30. ^ "The Latest: Oakland sports teams donating to fire victims". SFGate. Associated Press. December 3, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  31. ^ Allison Weeks (December 3, 2016). "Congresswoman Barbara Lee speaks about deadly Oakland warehouse fire". KRON 4. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  32. ^ "California Officials React to Deadly Oakland Warehouse Fire". NBC Bay Area. Associated Press. December 3, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  33. ^ "33 Confirmed Dead in Oakland Warehouse Party Fire; 8 Victims Identified". KQED. December 4, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  34. ^ Oakland A's (December 3, 2016). "THANK YOU to every Oakland A's fan for helping us support our community". Twitter. Retrieved December 3, 2016. We will now match to $30,000.
  35. ^ Oakland A's (December 3, 2016). "The @RAIDERS are joining us in relief of the #OaklandFire and will also be matching and donating up to $30,000". Twitter. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  36. ^ "Warriors make $50K donation to support victims of Oakland fire". ESPN. December 3, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  37. ^ Brandon Mercer (December 3, 2016). "Facebook Safety Check activated for Oakland Inferno that killed 9, and left 25 missing". SFGate. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  38. ^ "100% SILK Facebook post". Facebook. December 3, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  39. ^ Olga R. Rodriguez (December 3, 2016). "Warehouse Gutted by Blaze Was Home to Bohemian Art Space". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  40. ^ Thomas Peele; Robert Salonga (December 4, 2016). "Oakland warehouse fire: Who is the man behind the 'Ghost Ship'?". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
  41. ^ Jason Silverstein (December 4, 2016). "Operator of California 'Ghost Ship' warehouse complains about losing his venue in deadly fire". NY Daily News. Retrieved December 4, 2016.
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