SAN FRANCISCO―On Friday, December 2, a local warehouse in Oakland caught ablaze. The fire left 36 people dead. A total of 50-100 people were inside the warehouse for a music event the night the fire started. 

The warehouse is owned by Ghost Ship, a collective that housed poets, musicians, and artists. According to reports, the Ghost Ship became a “safe haven” for local artists just trying to get by in the increasingly expensive and gentrified area.

A criminal investigation has been opened to further uncover what may have caused the fire, and murder or involuntary charges could be pursued. 

The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, Oakland Fire Department, local and federal investigators are working together to investigate the case.  

“Right now, we have just started our investigation,” said Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley during a press conference on Monday, December 5. “And we owe it to the community, to those who perished in this fire, and those who survived the fire to be methodical, to be thorough, and to take the amount of time it takes to be able to look at every piece of potential evidence.”

“I know that people have been asking us, is this a murder case, what is it?” said O’Malley. “And my answer to you now is the question is whether or not the range of charges could be murder all the way to involuntary manslaughter. And until we know what the evidence shows us, there may be other charges, if the evidence presents that. And we don’t know until we finish our investigation.”

Near the back of the structure, steel was found “twisted and wrapped in the back of the building,” said Oakland Fire Battalion Chief Melinda Drayton. The structure was deemed too unstable for firefighters to continue and investigate. The area has been “quarantined off for additional investigation.”

The fire caused the roof to collapse onto the second floor and the ground floor. For those still missing or unidentified, families and loved ones have been asked to bring combs, toothbrushes or anything with DNA to help officials with the identification process.

Written By Deanna Morgan and Donald Roberts