Fire tears through Oakland dance party, killing at least 9

At least nine people were killed and and an estimated 25 people are missing after a fire ripped through an Oakland warehouse where an event featuring the Golden Donna 100% Silk 2016 West Coast Tour was being held Friday night, December 2, 2016.

The remains of just one of the nine confirmed dead had been recovered as of Saturday because the warehouse was still too unstable to enter, said Deputy Fire Chief Mark Hoffmann.

Some people were just arriving for the electronic music event, which a Facebook event page called the “Golden Donna 100% Silk 2016 West Coast Tour”.

Panicked friends and family posted messages on the group’s Facebook page trying to find out if their loved ones were among the dead.

Most of the bodies were found on the warehouse’s second floor, which was only accessible by a makeshift stairwell assembled with various materials, according to Oakland Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed. Ray Kelly said emergency responders are prepared for a “mass casualty event” that could involve “several dozen fatalities” after firefighters and others gain full access to the building. “We are preparing for the worst, which would be about 40 people”, Alameda County Sheriff’s Sgt. Paul Graves said.

In examining the scene of this latest fire, Reed said she noticed two fire extinguishers inside the warehouse, but doesn’t believe the facility was equipped with working smoke detectors since victims did not remember hearing any alarms during the fire.

The warehouse is believed to have housed an art collective and was regularly used for raves and parties.

More than 20 people are reportedly still missing in the aftermath of the fire. Footage from the scene showed the building engulfed in flames as plumes of thick, grey smoke billowed into the dark sky.

Organizers from the event held at the warehouse have created a list on Facebook to try and figure out who is alive and accounted for. Mule tried helping him out, but “there was a lot of stuff in the way and the flames were too much”, he said.

Others drew comparisons, arguing that they were sorry about “your stuff that served as the fuel that burned our irreplaceable people to death”.

Fire officials’ search of the building was stymied when the roof collapsed. “At that point, once the building is somewhat safe for us to go in, our coroner’s personnel will go in and begin the recovery process”, said Kelly. Oakland firefighters tweeted video of the fire erupting through the roof.

Police said they have talked to people who came out of the warehouse and either left prior to the fire or were able to get out.

Friends and family took to social media Saturday to post and seek information on loved ones who might have been there.

Authorities say arson investigators and other fire experts will comb through the wreckage of a deadly fire in Oakland, California, but the burn site is not considered a crime scene. Details about what led to the fire weren’t immediately available.

“This is going to be a slow process for us”.