Oakland Warehouse Fire: 10 Bodies Recovered, Dozens More Deaths Suspected (UPDATES)

OAKLAND, CA — Flames tore through a warehouse in Oakland, known as the "Ghost Ship," in what could be the deadliest fire in the city's history, killing at least 10 people as officials expect the death toll to rise as they continue recovery efforts into Sunday.

During a 6 p.m. press briefing Saturday night, Sergeant Ray Kelly of the Alameda County Sheriff's Office told reporters that the identification process on the bodies has already begun. All of the bodies have been fingerprinted. The goal is to notify distraught families as quickly as possible.

Kelly also said “at least two dozen people” are missing, and later added "it may be more than two dozen.” The problem with giving an exact count at this time is, “We don’t know how many people were inside.”

• Click here for the latest on the fire

Earlier in the day, Kelly said, "We're prepared for a mass casualty event."

More bodies have been spotted in the wreckage, Kelly said, but those bodies cannot easily be reached. Heavy equipment is being brought in, and crews will work through the night. The interior of the building is a mass of wreckage. The entire roof collapsed onto the second floor, which in turn collapsed onto the first floor.

On Saturday, officials confirmed there were nine confirmed fatalities. Early Sunday, that number had risen to 10, according to a report in NBC Bay Area.

The victims are in their 20s to 30s and some are from outside the United States, Kelly said. There have been no reports of minors being in the building.

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said she met with a roomful of families whose loved ones are missing in the fire.

The fire department responded to the structure fire around 11:30 p.m. Friday in the 1300 block of 31st Avenue. An event called "Golden Donna 100% Silk 2016 West Coast Tour" was apparently taking place at the location of the fire. Crews did not hear any smoke detectors going off when they arrived and the building had no sprinklers.

Firefighters arrived to find flames on three sides of the building. Crews began battling the blaze from the inside and had to go outside when conditions changed, according to a report from the East Bay Times. It took around 4 hours to bring the blaze under control. When firefighters entered the building they came across clutter like furniture, art pieces and mannequins. Oakland Fire Chief Deloach Reed was quoted by the paper as saying it was almost like a maze.

The building is known as the "Oakland Ghost Ship." A Tumblr account associated with the building shows photos from inside the structure. Photos show the inside of the building was filled with things like musical instruments, furniture, art works and more.

“It was too hot, too much smoke, I had to get out of there,” Bob Mule, a photographer and artist who lives at the building and who suffered minor burns, told the paper. “I literally felt my skin peeling and my lungs being suffocated by smoke. I couldn’t get the fire extinguisher to work.”

Kelly urged concerned families who may be out of state to call 510-382-3000. A family assistance center has been established at 2425 E 12th Street. Officials are asking the public and media to stay away from the assistance center.

“Last night’s fire was an immense tragedy. I am grateful to our first responders for their efforts to deal with this deadly fire. Our focus right now is on the victims and their families and ensuring that we have a full accounting for everyone who was impacted by this tragedy," Oakland Mayor Libby Schaff said in a statement. “We are fully committed to sharing as much information as we can as quickly as possible. The most critical information to share at this time is the phone number where victims’ families can get information which is (510) 382-3000 at the Alameda County Coroner’s Bureau.”

City records show that the building had received a housing habitability complaint on Nov. 14. A description of the complaint said the building had an "illegal interior building structure." The status of that complaint is currently pending. The building, an artists collective and houses about 50 people, had also received at least two blight complaints.

An official with the Oakland Planning and Building Department told reporters at the scene that a party at the warehouse would have required a permit and no such permit had been issued. Permits would also be required to allow people to live in the space and had not been issued.

On the event's Facebook page, people offered condolences and prayers for those killed. The page is also asking people to report themselves as safe or to report the names of those missing in the fire. A spreadsheet has also been created to track those missing in the fire. Facebook has established safe check in for those who attended the event.

"Send love from a stranger. Prayers for everyone," one woman wrote.

"Prayers to all the beautiful people lost in this fire, and prayers for the ones who have survived," a man wrote.

SEE ALSO:

• Oakland Warehouse Fire: Nightclubs Have Long Posed Safety Questions
• Support Pours in for Oakland Fire Victims: How You Can Help

"Joel is safe but like many people he is heartbroken and has several friends among the missing," a post on the artist Golden Donna's Facebook page said. "Please refrain from messaging this page or Joel's personal channels unless you have information on the Oakland fire victims. Sending love to everyone affected by this horrific event."

Joel Shannahan is the stage name for Golden Donna, the artist headlining the event.

Most of the people who were killed were on the second floor.

The Alameda County Sheriff’s Coroner’s Bureau can be contacted regarding any missing persons in connection with the fire.

No cause of the fire has been determined. Officials said it was too early to suspect arson but an arson investigation will take place. Federal agencies are also on scene.

The Fruitvale neighborhood is located southeast of the downtown area and is home to Oakland's largest Hispanic population. The neighborhood is also home to Jingletown, an arts community where many young artists reside.

Patch will update this breaking news story with more details as they are learned. Refresh this page for updates.

Main Image via Alameda County Sheriff's Office, Second Image Screenshot of video via Oakland Fire, Third Image via Alameda County Sheriff's Office