The warehouse was known as the “Oakland Ghost Ship.” Its website showed pictures of a bohemian, loft-like interior made of wood and cluttered with rugs, old sofas and a garage-sale like collection of pianos, paintings, turntables, statues and other items. The Associated Press could not locate a telephone number for her Saturday and efforts to reach her at other Oakland addresses associated with her were not successful. Online records listed the building’s owner as Nar Siu Chor. “There was a lot of stuff in the way, the flames were too much,” Mule said, trailing off.
Mule said he tried to help someone who had an injured ankle but couldn’t. “The fire went up really, really, really quickly,” he said. He told KGO-TV that he and another person smelled smoke and spotted the fire in a back corner and started yelling. One survivor, however, said that 18 artists lived inside the warehouse.īob Mule said he was one of the artists living in the collective space. The city has not confirmed people were living inside. 17 but could not get inside the building. 13 and an investigator went to the premises on Nov. Oakland officials said they had opened an investigation just last month into the warehouse after numerous complaints filed by neighbors who said trash was piling up outside the property and people were illegally living in the building, which was zoned as a warehouse.ĭarin Ranelletti, of the Oakland Planning Department, said the city opened an investigation Nov. The building’s roof had collapsed into the second floor, which in places fell to the bottom floor. He said that firefighters had to stop their search and rescue operation Saturday afternoon for safety reasons and shore up the structure, but they expected to resume later in the day.