Obama sends prayers to 'devastated' Oakland after deadly fire
OAKLAND — President Obama sent prayers to a "devastated" community Monday while authorities in Oakland struggled with the bleak effort to remove remains from the warehouse where a Friday fire claimed at least 36 lives. Authorities said it is unlikely that more victims would be found.
Work was halted for about nine hours Monday after authorities determined the building was dangerously unstable for firefighters inching through the wreckage, said Fire Battalion Chief Melinda Drayton.
"Working under a wobbly, potentially collapsing exterior wall is extremely dangerous," she said. "We will not put our firefighters in danger."
Later, the building was sufficiently secured and work resumed. But officials announced up to 500 electrical customers in the area would lose power for up to 12 hours to allow a crane to be hauled into the area to aid workers at the scene. Red Cross volunteers and community groups were canvassing the area to ensure the needs of residents would be met, police spokeswoman Johnna Watson said.
"It's absolutely imperative we take care of our community," Watson said.
President Obama issued a statement offering prayers to the victims, families and the city. He promised full cooperation from federal agencies.
"While we still don't know the full toll of this disaster, we do know that an American community has been devastated," Obama said.
Fire raced through the warehouse late Friday during a concert that drew dozens of partygoers. City officials said the first floor had been converted to impromptu — and unlicensed — artist studios and living spaces, while most of the second floor was an open area used for concerts and parties. One rickety staircase was the only way down for those upstairs fleeing the blaze.
As Oakland fire spread, partygoer thought: 'This is probably contained’
Vikram Babu, 35, an app designer, was supposed to be at the venue that night. His friend, filmmaker Alex Ghassan, is among the missing. Babu was late because he got the wrong address from the Facebook invitation.
As he began seeing social media posts about the fire, Babu reached another friend who had just escaped the building.
“I called him, asked him, ‘Is this for real,’” Babu told USA TODAY. “And he said ‘Don’t come. It’s terrible.’”
People familiar with the venue described it as a labyrinth, without clearly marked exits or a familiar layout like a house or a store. When the fire broke out, few people inside appeared worried, not realizing how fast it would spread. Ghassan’s last Instagram post is a view that appears to show the inside of the venue less than an hour before the fire exploded, with music playing quietly in the background and people laughing.
“It shouldn’t be a crime for artists and hard-working people who don’t fit into America’s model to get together and have drinks and listen to music,” Babu said.
So far, the names of seven victims have been released. Alameda County Sheriff's Deputy Tya Modeste said 11 victims have been identified, and family members were being notified. One of the victims was a minor and that name won't be released, she said. DNA samples were being taken of some victims and identification of some remains could take weeks, she said.
Drayton said about 70% of the building has been searched and that she "absolutely" expects the death toll will rise.
Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly said some of the victims could be as young as 17. He added that some hailed from Europe and Asia. One of the victims was the son of a sheriff's deputy, he said.
Impromptu memorials sprung up along the perimeter of the fire investigation zone, surrounded by police tape. Flowers, stuffed animals and notes paid tribute to the victims.
Residents and businesses in the low-income, densely Latino neighborhood were reeling from shock as they started the work week in the shadow of rescue workers digging through rubble to find more bodies.
"It's hard to put into words," said Becky Shao, manager of ProSpeed Auto Body, a block from the burnt shell of the Ghost Ship building. The garage was closed until Thursday because a cordoned-off crime scene made it impossible for customers to drop off cars.
Around the corner, Sivan Sadeh, a health-prevention program manager at Street Level Health Project, said everyone knew someone directly or affiliated with the warehouse. An eight-year resident of the area, Sadeh shuddered at the thought of the deadly fire and its devastating impact on a tightly knit community.
"We had a horrible fire here just a year and a half ago at local businesses," she said. "We haven't gotten over that either."
Bacon reported from McLean, Va.; Hughes reported from Denver