Oakland Warehouse Fire Latest: Official Cause Remains Elusive

OAKLAND, CA — The cause of the massive Oakland warehouse fire at the "Ghost Ship" that killed 36 people on Dec. 2 has still not been determined, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced Tuesday.

At an 11 a.m. news conference, ATF Special Agent in Charge Jill Snyder said "the electrical system is part of the analysis," but no final determination has been made.

Oakland Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed and District Attorney Nancy O'Malley thanked all personnel who worked at the scene.

In addition, O'Malley said that her office will be thorough in examining all evidence and the circumstances surrounding the fire before any charges are filed. She also said there is no timeline for completing the investigation.

>> Oakland Warehouse Fire Latest: List of All 36 Victims

Fire Timeline

The fire department responded to the structure fire around 11:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2, in the 1300 block of 31st Avenue. A rave was underway; 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.

Building History

An Oakland Planning and Building Department official told reporters on Saturday that 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 that the only access to the second story was a "makeshift" staircase made of "wooden pallets." However, Drayton said Sunday that there were two staircases. She did not elaborate on the second one.

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.

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 that the structure was filled with objects like furniture, art pieces and musical instruments.

Additional Coverage:

• Oakland Fire: ‘Ghost Ship’ Manager Derick Ion Almena Defends Actions
• Oakland Warehouse Fire Latest: All 36 Victims Identified
• Oakland Fire Donations: 2 Official Victim Funds Established
• 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 Oakland Fire Department