Fire at California loft party kills at least nine, two dozen missing

By Peter Henderson OAKLAND, Calif. (Reuters) - A fire that erupted during a dance party at a warehouse used by an artists' collective in Oakland, California, killed at least nine and left about two dozen people missing, raising fears that more bodies would be found inside, authorities said on Saturday. City and Alameda County officials said they expected the death toll to climb once the burned-out ruins of the two-story building were shored up and recovery teams were able to safely enter the structure. The blaze started at about 11:30 p.m. on Friday in the city's Fruitvale district, a mostly Latino area that is also home to many artists living and working in converted lofts. The cause of the blaze and exact number of casualties remained undetermined, said Oakland Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed, who called it the worst single-structure fire she had seen in her career. Still, nine fatalities had been confirmed, and authorities were working to account for "a couple of dozen" other people and were "expecting the worst," Sergeant Ray Kelly, a spokesman for the county sheriff, told an afternoon news conference. The remains of only 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. He said about a dozen people survived the blaze, including one individual who went to a local hospital for treatment. The party was taking place on the second floor of the building, which had just two exits, at the time the blaze began, officials said. The warehouse roof collapsed onto the second floor of the building during the fire, according to authorities, and portions of the second floor caved in on the first story. Authorities said they did not suspect arson, but investigators want to find out if the building, which was partitioned into artists' studios, had a history of building code violations. The city had received complaints about unpermitted construction at the building and opened an investigation, but an inspector failed to gain access to the structure on Nov. 7, and the inquiry remained open, said the city's buildings and planning chief, Darin Ranelletti. He said the city was aware of reports that people were living there, but no permits had been issued for habitation. It was unclear, he said, whether special permits would be needed for the artists who had set up shop inside. Many of the victims were young people in their 20s or 30s, authorities said. "It's just so hard to accept that some really wonderful people's lives got cut short," said Jenny Yang, 34, an artist and activist who was waiting for news of missing friends at Eli's, an Oakland bar that opened early as a gathering spot. Video footage posted on social media showed flames shooting from the structure, which was adorned with elaborate graffiti and colorful murals, as fire vehicles pumped plumes of water and heavy smoke engulfed the neighborhood. Earlier, first responders were able to identify the nine fatalities visually as they entered the building, according to Kelly. He said local hospitals were being inundated with calls but had not treated many patients. FRANTIC SEARCH FOR INFORMATION Authorities have said they did not know how many people were at the party or how many lived on the premises. A Facebook event page showed 176 people planned to attend the party, which featured electronic music performances. Golden Donna, Cherushii and Nackt were among the acts scheduled to perform as part of the Los Angeles-based 100% Silk label's West Coast tour, Variety reported. Parents and others shared contact information on the page and asked anyone with information about the missing to call. "ANY information please!" wrote a woman looking for her son. At a sheriff’s station not far from the fire, about a dozen people were waiting on Saturday for updates from authorities. “I don’t have high hopes,” said a woman who had four friends among the missing, declining to give her name. “We’ve just spent the night calling hospitals and listening to police scanners.” The warehouse contained makeshift artist studios carved out with curtains and other partitions, the fire chief said. The interior was cluttered with "a flea market of items," she said. There was no evidence of any smoke detectors in the building. The structure had only a single point of entry or exit from the second floor, where most of the dead were found, the chief said. A makeshift staircase appeared to be constructed from pallets. "It's the worst case scenario we feared because it's an older warehouse," Doug, a man who only gave his first name, said as he waited for news of people who may have been inside. (Additional reporting by Letitia Stein in Tampa, Florida, and David Bailey in Minneapolis; Writing by Frank McGurty; Editing by Bill Rigby and Tom Brown)