Oakland Warehouse Fire: Autopsies Underway on 36 Victims (UPDATES)

OAKLAND, CA — The death toll in the Oakland warehouse fire that ripped through a building known as the "Ghost Ship" has risen to 36, but authorities announced Monday they don't "anticipate any more huge numbers."

Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern said 33 of the 36 recovered victims have been tentatively identified, with 16 families notified and 22 autopsies completed. While authorities do not expect to find more victims, they say they are prepared in the case that more victims are found.

The victims include citizens of Finland, Guatemala and South Korea. The U.S. State Department is handling those notifications.

District Attorney Nancy O'Malley said it's too soon to know whether criminal charges will be filed. Her investigators must first determine if criminal liability exists and, if so, who is responsible. Charges could range from murder to involuntary manslaughter.

City officials also released documents Monday detailing the troubled history of the building.

On Saturday, following the fire, the complaint history was updated with, "Firefighters said that some of the victims might have been trapped in the blaze when they couldn't escape down a makeshift one-way stairwell leading to the second floor that was built out of wooden pallets."

In October 2014, the same document states, a complaint noted, "Constructing house/structure without permits" that was deemed "Non-Actionable."

An open complaint reported by city planning officials on Saturday showed the city was told the building had been "remodel(ed) for residential" purposes.

Anyone with information that might be useful in the criminal investigation is encouraged to call 877-288-2882.

Authorities have not released a cause of the fire. Around 50 people are still unaccounted for but among those who were reported missing, a list that exceeded 220 names initially; not all were confirmed to be inside the building.

As of 2:30 p.m., 70 percent of the building was cleared of debris. The power has been turned off to some nearby residences because of equipment that could come into contact with overhead lines.

Flags in Alameda County have been ordered flown at half-staff "in honor of those killed or injured in a tragic warehouse fire."

President Obama issued the following statement on the fire Monday:

Today our prayers go out to the people of Oakland, California in the aftermath of this weekend's deadly warehouse fire – one of the worst fires in the state's history. While we still don't know the full toll of this disaster, we do know that an American community has been devastated, and many people – including young men and women with their whole futures ahead of them – have tragically lost their lives. I want to thank the dedicated first responders who have been working tirelessly for days to contain the situation, recover victims, and treat the wounded. My Administration is in close contact with our state and local partners on the ground to make sure that authorities have everything they need as they continue response operations and investigate the cause of the fire. Oakland is one of the most diverse and creative cities in our country, and as families and residents pull together in the wake of this awful tragedy, they will have the unwavering support of the American people.

Timeline

The fire department responded to the structure fire around 11:30 p.m. Friday in the 1300 block of 31st Avenue. A rave was under way; officially the "Golden Donna 100% Silk 2016 West Coast Tour" was taking place upstairs.

Firefighters were met by flames on three sides of the building. Crews did not hear any smoke detectors going off when they arrived, and the building had no sprinklers. One man who escaped the building said he grabbed a fire extinguisher but couldn't get it to work.

The fire went to three alarms and was quickly declared a defensive fire, meaning it was too dangerous for firefighters to go inside. They sprayed water on the towering flames from aerial ladders and ground level. The building was still smoking at 4:30 a.m., five hours after flames broke out.

Troubling Building History

An Oakland Planning and Building Department official told reporters on Saturday the building was only permitted as a warehouse, not as a live/work space for artists as it was apparently being used. Furthermore, it was only permitted as a single story, not two stories. A fire official on Saturday said the only access to the second story was a "makeshift" staircase made of "wooden pallets." However, Oakland Fire Department Battalion Chief Melinda Drayton said Sunday there were two staircases. She did not elaborate on the second one.

City records show a housing habitability complaint was lodged on Nov. 14, noting an "illegal interior building structure." The status of that complaint is pending.

Furthermore, a music event such as the rave requires a city permit, which would have included an inspection by the fire department to determine occupancy, adequate exits, etc. No such permit was obtained.

The building known as the "Ghost Ship" was an artist's collective. Photos posted on a Tumblr account associated with the building show the structure filled with objects like furniture, art pieces and musical instruments.

Additional Coverage:

• Oakland Warehouse Fire: 33 Killed, IDs to Be Released, Recovery Efforts Continue (UPDATES)
• Support Pours in for Oakland Fire Victims: How You Can Help
• Oakland Warehouse Fire: Nightclubs Have Long Posed Safety Questions
• Oakland Warehouse Fire: 10 Bodies Recovered, Dozens More Deaths Suspected (UPDATES)
• Oakland Warehouse Fire: Three UC Berkeley Students Among the Missing Says Student Paper

Victims:

• Oakland Fire Victims Identified: Coroner's Bureau Releases Names of 7
• Oakland Warehouse Fire: Santa Monica Man Among Those Killed
• Oakland Fire Victim From Walnut Creek
• Oakland Fire Victim From Hayward, Coroner Reports
• Coronado Man Identified As Victim In Oakland Fire
• Oakland Warehouse Fire: Lakewood Woman Among the Missing
• Morristown Man Missing From Deadly CA Warehouse Fire: Report
• N.J. Man Among 24 Missing In Deadly CA Warehouse Fire, Reports Say
• Youngest Victim of Oakland Warehouse Fire Was 17-Year-Old San Francisco Student

Image via Alameda County Sheriff's Office