OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — As investigators searched for signs of a crime in the fire that killed at least 33 in an Oakland warehouse during a late-night dance party, survivors and teary-eyed friends of those who perished viewed the charred building from a distance, placed flowers on several small memorials and embraced each other to mourn their losses. 
 
 Bouquets of sunflowers, single white roses, lilies and carnations were stuck in chain-link fences, votive candles burned on sidewalks and post-it notes paid tribute to the missing and the dead in the most lethal building fire in the U.S. in more than a decade. 
 
 Kai Thomas and a group of red-eyed classmates from an arts high school in San Francisco pressed against police tape Sunday near the street corner where the "Ghost Ship," a warehouse converted to artist studios and illegal living spaces, rapidly went up in flames late Friday, taking the life of a friend. 
 
 Three of the boys had been in the cramped and dark building, Thomas said, but one got separated from them 30 seconds before someone yelled, "Fire." 
 
 "It was just really smoky and hard to see," said Thomas, a high school junior who wasn't there, but recounted what he had been told by two others who didn't want to speak. "They jumped off the second-floor balcony and ran out." 
 
 The boys waited for their 17-year-old friend for more than three hours, but he never emerged. 
 
 They wouldn't give his name, but the victims included a 17-year-old, as well as people from Europe and Asia and some over 30, said Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly said. Officials had identified eight of the dead — at least seven of them using fingerprints, but told family members of the missing that they may need to use DNA for more difficult identifications. 
 
 "When we started this investigation, if you had told us that you would have 33 victims, we wouldn't have believed you," Kelly said. "I don't know how many people are left in there." 
 
 Lists of the missing circulated and many of those who had been unable to reach friends in the past two days had given up hope when authorities said people either escaped without injury or died inside. 
 
 Jesse James Alexander, a DJ, who wasn't at the party, showed up at the scene of the fire Sunday to remember three friends who were killed, though he didn't want to give their names. 
 
 Others were still holding out hope. Yuri Kundin said outside a sheriff's office where friends and family gathered for word of their loved ones that he was hoping for good news about his friends, Alex Ghassan and Hanna Henriikka Ruax, who was from Finland. 
 
 One of the many post-it notes left on a sidewalk around the corner from the remains of the warehouse said, "Praying for you. ... Hope you're still here." 
 
 Firefighters had searched less than half the building and expected more casualties as they worked around the clock to remove debris bucket by bucket. 
 
 The district attorney's sent a team to search for signs of a crime in the warehouse that was already under investigation by the city for possible code violations. The space was only permitted as a warehouse and neighbors had complained of trash piling up and people were illegally living there. 
 
 Authorities would not answer questions about the couple that operated the Satya Yuga collective, who were identified as Derick Ion Almena and Micah Allison and were believed to have been out of the building at the time of the blaze. 
 
 The couple had a troubled relationship, said Michael Allison of Portland, Oregon, the father of Micah. He and other family members persuaded his daughter to go to a drug rehabilitation center in 2015, but Almena talked his way into the clinic and convinced Micah to leave with him, Michael Allison said. 
 
 The family's three children had lice and needed new clothes, prompting family to call child-protective services, said Michael Allison, who wept as he talked. But Almena and his partner eventually were able to win custody of the children back and cut off all communication with Michael Allison, the father said. 
 
 "Whenever I could, I would to talk to (Micah) to get away from him because I knew he was dangerous from day one," he said. "All of that has now been proven." 
 
 A man identified as Derick Ion posted a Facebook message early Saturday, saying, "Everything I worked so hard for is gone. Blessed that my children and Micah were at a hotel safe and sound." He drew rebukes online from others who said he was warned the building was unsafe. 
 
 Almena did not immediately respond to emails or phone numbers associated with him. No one answered a call to a number for Micah Allison. 
 
 The building had been carved into artist studios and visitors and former denizens said it was a cluttered death trap, piled with scrap wood, a mess of snaking electric cords and only two exits. 
 
 Almena had leased the space from its owner and then rented five recreational vehicles and other nooks on the ground floor as living spaces, said Danielle Boudreaux, a former friend of Almena and Allison. They held regular concerts and dance parties, like the one Friday, to make money, Boudreaux said. 
 
 Shelley Mack was drawn there by the promise of living among artists and paying a reasonable rent in an area where the tech boom has created a housing shortage and exorbitant leases. She after a few months two years ago when the place failed to live up to its promises. 
 
 "Some people were happy to have a roof over their head even though there was no heat or no place to eat or that it was filthy and infested," Mack said. "You just get sucked in because it seems like it's this nice place and this artistic community and they talk a good game. There are people there that wanted to be there and believed in it. And I think I did too for a little bit. And then I afterward, I was like, um no." 
 
 ___ 
 
 Associated Press writers Ellen Knickmeyer, Olga Rodriguez, Tim Reiterman and Sudhin Thanawala in San Francisco, and Jonathan J. Cooper, Terry Chea and Janie Har in Oakland contributed to this report. 

 OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Latest on a deadly fire in a converted warehouse in Oakland, California (all times local): 
 
 9 p.m. 
 
 The NBA Golden State Warriors say the team is donating $50,000 to help families affected by the deadly warehouse fire in Oakland. The team says the money will go to the Unity Council in the Fruitvale district of Oakland, a nonprofit that assists members of the community. 
 
 Before the Warriors hosted the Phoenix Suns Saturday night, Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said "We're all with you out there. We're all devastated today." A moment of silence was observed. 
 
 The NFL Oakland Raiders say they've joined forces with the Major League Baseball's Oakland A's to aid those affected by the fire. The Raiders have pledged to match up to $30,000 in contributions through a YouCaring.com page set up by the A's. 
 
 ___ 
 
 6:30 p.m. 
 
 Authorities say nine bodies have been recovered from the wreckage of a warehouse gutted by a fire during an electronic music party Friday night in Oakland, California. 
 
 Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly said Saturday the bodies have been taken to the coroner's office to be identified. 
 
 Kelly says there are more bodies trapped in the debris that are hard to reach and need to be "cut from the wreckage." 
 
 He says excavators, a crane and dumpster trucks are being brought in to help in the recovery and the building is being flooded with light to allow crews to work through the night. 
 
 Kelly says crews will have to move very slowly as they pull out debris and look for more victims. 
 
 He says at least two dozen people remain missing. 
 
 ___ 
 
 3:35 p.m. 
 
 The city of Oakland started investigating nearly three weeks ago whether people were illegally living in a warehouse destroyed by a fire late Friday night. At least nine people died. 
 
 Darin Ranelletti, of the City of Oakland Planning Department, says the city had received reports of people living illegally in the building, which was only permitted as a warehouse. They opened an investigation on Nov. 13. He says an investigator went to the premises on Nov. 17 but could not gain access to the inside of the building 
 
 Ranelletti says they had not yet confirmed people were living inside. Photos posted online of the warehouse - called the "Oakland Ghost Ship" - showed pictures of a bohemian, loft-like interior made of wood and cluttered with beds, rugs, old sofas, pianos, paintings, turntables, statues and other items. 
 
 Neighbors had complained of trash piling up outside the property and concerns the garbage posed a danger, according to the city's Planning and Building Department website. 
 
 ___ 
 
 12:50 p.m. 
 
 California Gov. Jerry Brown has issued a statement of condolences after a deadly fire in Oakland, California, left at least nine people dead. 
 
 Brown says in a statement that he and his wife, Anne, were saddened to hear about the deadly blaze. 
 
 In the statement Saturday he said: "Our thoughts are with the entire city in this difficult time and we extend our condolences to the family and friends of those lost." 
 
 Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf issued a separate statement calling the fire "an immense tragedy." 
 
 Authorities say they fear up to 40 people might have died in the fire at a warehouse converted into artist studios that was hosting an electronic dance party. 
 
 Rescue crews were combing through wreckage and still trying to access parts of the warehouse mid-day Saturday. 
 
 ___ 
 
 12:25 p.m. 
 
 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. 
 
 Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly says Saturday that fire investigations must start out looking at worst-case scenarios. 
 
 The blaze broke out about 11:30 p.m. Friday, and officials have confirmed nine deaths. They fear up to 40 more could have died. Authorities are working to verify who was in the building when the blaze broke out. 
 
 Terry Ewing says his girlfriend was at the party and is missing. He went to a sheriff's office building Saturday to await information. He says he didn't know about the party and that he learned of the fire from friends who came to his house. 
 
 ___ 
 
 11:50 a.m. 
 
 The sheriff's office serving Oakland, California, says it appears people inside a converted warehouse that went up in flames either escaped unscathed or were trapped inside. 
 
 Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly says Saturday there are no reported injuries from a deadly fire that broke out during a rave in a gritty section of Oakland. 
 
 Authorities have confirmed nine people died in the blaze but fear up to 40 more could have perished. It broke out about 11:30 p.m. Friday. 
 
 Oakland Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed says the warehouse had been partitioned into several artist studios and was packed with furniture, mannequins and other objects. The chief says the building didn't have a clear exit path and that the only way out of the second floor was a makeshift stairwell. 
 
 The building was still smoldering at midday Saturday. 
 
 ___ 
 
 10:45 a.m. 
 
 Authorities in the San Francisco Bay Area say they are prepared to deal with up to 40 deaths after a fire broke out at a warehouse party in Oakland, California. 
 
 Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly says Saturday that nine people are confirmed dead, and that he expects that number to rise. 
 
 Oakland Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed says some people escaped and that between 50 and 100 people were at the warehouse at the time of the fire. 
 
 The warehouse had been partitioned into several artist studios and was packed with furniture, mannequins, lamps, and other objects. Deloche-Reed says the building didn't have a clear exit path and that the only way out of the second floor was a makeshift stairwell made of pallets. 
 
 Fire officials say the building was not equipped with sprinklers. 
 
 Kelly says firefighters are still extinguishing hotspots from the blaze that sparked around 11:30 p.m. Friday. The cause is unclear. 
 
 ___ 
 
 9:55 a.m. 
 
 A San Francisco Bay Area fire chief says the converted warehouse where a fire killed at least nine people was extremely cluttered and would have been difficult to escape in an emergency. 
 
 Oakland Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed says the building was packed with furniture, mannequins and statues and that it did not have a clear entry or exit path. 
 
 Deloach Reed says the only way out of the second floor was a makeshift stairwell made of pallets. She says the roof collapsed and there is a lot of debris that will have to be painstakingly removed. 
 
 The building was partitioned into artist studios. 
 
 Alameda County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. J.D. Nelson says officials with the coroner's office haven't recovered any bodies from because the building is still deemed unsafe. 
 
 The cause of the fire is still unclear. 
 
 ___ 
 
 9:05 a.m. 
 
 A San Francisco Bay Area fire chief now says up to 25 people are unaccounted for after a fire in Oakland, California, that killed at least nine people Friday night. 
 
 Oakland Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed tells reporters Saturday morning that the site of the fire is a former warehouse that was subdivided into artist studios. Deloche-Reed says the roof collapsed and that fire investigators will have to search through debris to find any remaining bodies. 
 
 Authorities are working to verify who was in the building when the blaze broke out around 11:30 p.m. 
 
 The chief says it's unclear what started the fire, but that there did not appear to be sprinklers in the building. 
 
 Authorities told KTVU-TV about 50 people were in the building when the fire started. It happened during a party. 
 
 ___ 
 
 7:35 a.m. 
 
 Fire officials say at least nine people died in a blaze that broke out during a party in a warehouse late Friday night in the San Francisco Bay Area. 
 
 Oakland Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed says at least another 13 people are unaccounted for as of Saturday morning. 
 
 Deloach Reed says the fire department still must do a thorough search of the building. 
 
 The fire started about 11:30 p.m. Friday. It tore through the building during an event featuring musician Golden Donna's 100% Silk West Coast tour, the East Bay Times reports. 
 
 Authorities told KTVU-TV about 50 people were in the building, which houses a group of artists and their studios. 
 
 ___ 
 
 5:58 a.m. 
 
 San Francisco Bay Area authorities say a fire has broken out at an Oakland warehouse where people were having a party, and police say there are "casualties." 
 
 Oakland police Officer G. Plasencia says the fire department responded about 11:30 p.m. Friday and that firefighters were still on the scene early Saturday morning. Oakland firefighters tweeted video of the fire erupting through the roof. 
 
 Authorities told KTVU-TV about 50 people were inside the building, which houses a group of artists and their studios. 
 
 Plasencia said he had no further description of the casualties and referred an Associated Press reporter to the coroner's office. The office said the coroners were also at the scene Saturday morning and unavailable for comment. The fire department also had no immediate details. 

 The blaze in an Oakland, California, warehouse that functioned as an unsanctioned residence and event space is one of the deadliest building fires in the United States in the last 50 years. Although the fire's current death toll of 36 puts it seventh on the list, the number of victims is expected to grow — likely pushing it higher. 
 
 Below are the 10 deadliest building fires of the past 50 years. 
 
 1. World Trade Center, New York City: Sept. 11, 2001 — 2,753 Killed 
 
 People walk in the street where the World Trade Center buildings collapsed in September 2001. Mario Tama / Getty Images 
 
 A day that will live in infamy. The World Trade Center was the worst terrorist attack in United States history. The crashing of two jetliners into the World Trade Center Buildings, perpetrated by the terrorist group al-Qaeda, killed 2,753 people in New York City. Though the initial impact of the plane and building collapse killed many, the fires were deadly as well and continued for 99 days after 9/11. Tens of thousands of people have developed illnesses, some of them terminal, because of exposure to toxins and poisons from the site. The attack led to the war in Afghanistan, which has continued for 15 years. 
 
 2. Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, Oklahoma City: April 19, 1995 — 168 Killed 
 
 The north side of the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City shows the devastation caused by a car bomb that detonated on April 19, 1995. Bob Daemmrich / AFP/Getty Images file 
 
 More than 20 years ago, a truck bomb exploded outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, killing 168 people — including children. Now known as the Oklahoma City Bombing, it was the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil until 9/11 and the worst act of domestic terrorism in the country's history. Many died from the ensuing fire and from smoke inhalation — almost 40 percent of the victims who died or were injured suffered from the latter, according to the Oklahoma Department of Health. Timothy McVeigh, an anti-government militant, set off the explosives and was put to death by lethal injection in 2001. His co-conspirator, Terry Nichols, is serving multiple life sentences in a Colorado federal penitentiary. 
 
 3. Beverly Hills Supper Club, South Gate, Kentucky: May 28, 1977 — 165 Killed 
 
 The Beverly Hills Supper Club in Southgate, Kentucky., lies in rubble May 29, 1977, after a fire killed more than 200 people. AP 
 
 More than 3,000 people were at the Beverly Hills Supper Club when a fire started in the "Zebra room," according to the Center for Fire Research, a department of the National Bureau of Standards. Most were able to escape, but 165 were killed inside the club. The fire fed through an interior corridor and spread throughout the club. At the time, it was the deadliest fire in more than 30 years. 
 
 Related: Former Occupant of Warehouse Said Building Was 'Sketchy' and 'Unsafe' 
 
 4. The Station Nightclub, West Warwick, Rhode Island: Feb. 20, 2003 — 100 Killed 
 
 A firefighter grieves at the scene of a deadly fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, in February 2003. Elise Amendola / AP 
 
 The Station nightclub blaze — the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history, according to the National Fire Protection Association — killed 100 people and led the NFPA to create code provisions for sprinklers and crowd management in similar venues. Hundreds of people had gone to the nightclub to see the band Great White, whose pyrotechnics display caused the inferno that engulfed the club in less than six minutes. The band's manager and the nightclub owner were sentenced to 15 years in prison, although both were granted parole in 2008, The Associated Press reported. 
 
 5. Happy Land Social Club, Bronx, New York: March 25, 1990 — 87 Killed 
 
 An arson fire at the Happy Land social club killed 87 people in 1990 in the Bronx, AP 
 
 A spurned boyfriend, unemployed Cuban refugee Julio Gonzalez, set the Happy Land social club in the Bronx ablaze after getting into an argument with his girlfriend, who worked there, according to NBC New York. He was kicked out of the club and returned after 3 a.m. with gasoline and matches. He lit the guest exit on fire and pulled the metal front gate closed. Eighty-seven people died within minutes. It was the deadliest blaze in the city's history since the Triangle Shirtwaist Co. fire in 1911, exactly 79 years earlier. 
 
 6. MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas: Nov. 21, 1980 — 84 Killed 
 
 A fire at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas killed at least 80 people in November 1980. AP 
 
 The MGM Grand Hotel and Casino fire, which is considered the second deadliest hotel fire in U.S. history, killed 84 people and injured more than 700 others. According to the Clark County Fire Department's report, the source was an electrical fire in the Deli restaurant. Within six minutes of its discovery, the fire had started to spread at 15 to 19 feet per second because of a "flashover" that quickly ate plastic ornamental fixtures, wall coverings, furniture and other combustibles. 
 
 7. 'The Ghost Ship,' Oakland, California: Dec. 3, 2016 — 36 Killed (number expected to grow) 
 
 Firefighters battle a fire in Oakland, California, that killed at least 30 people Saturday. David Butow/Redux / Redux Pictures 
 
 The death toll of the warehouse fire in Oakland has climbed to at least 36 people, with more missing and expected to be added to the list. It is the deadliest fire in Oakland history. The interior of the building, known as "The Ghost Ship," was filled with combustible wooden objects and didn't have a sprinkler system. Many people were trapped on the second floor during a party, as the staircase — which was built of wooden pallets — was quickly swallowed by the fire. People were illegally living in the unsanctioned art collective, as well. 
 
 8. UpStairs Lounge, New Orleans: June 24, 1973 — 32 Killed 
 
 A fire at the UpStairs bar in New Orleans killed 32 people in June 1973. AP file 
 
 An unknown arsonist set fire to a New Orleans gay bar in 1972, killing 32 people. It was considered the deadliest attack on an LGBT space until the massacre at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, this year. The arsonist doused the stairwell into the bar with lighter fluid and threw a lighted torch to ignite the fire. The entire bar was alight in minutes. Many people died because the building didn't follow proper fire safety measures and the only emergency exit wasn't clearly marked, according to New Orleans Historical, a history project created by the University of New Orleans and Tulane University. 
 
 PHOTOS: Oakland Warehouse Fire Kills Several at Dance Party 
 
 9. Imperial Foods Chicken Processing Plant, Hamlet, North Carolina: Sept. 3, 1991 — 25 Killed 
 
 A blocked door contributed to the number of deaths in the Imperial chicken plant fire, which killed 25 people in Hamlet, North Carolina, in 1991. U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration 
 
 According to report by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the fire at the Imperial Foods Chicken Processing Plant killed 25 people and injured 54 others in September 1991. The conveyor of a hydraulic line on one of the plant's cookers burst, which ejected hydraulic fluid that burst into flames because of the plumes of heating gas expelled by a cooking vat. This created a fireball, and spread smoke rapidly, confusing those people inside. Many of the exit doors were locked, causing many people to hide in a cooler or to seek other exits. The toxic gas killed many of those trying to escape. 
 
 10. House fire in Charleston, West Virginia: March 24, 2012 — Killed 9 
 
 Authorities and investigators at the scene of a house fire that killed nine people in Charleston, West Virginia, in March 2012. AP - file 
 
 A house fire in Charleston, West Virginia, left nine dead — seven of them were children between the ages of one and eight. The home had only one smoke alarm that was not properly installed, according to NBC affiliate WSAZ. All were sleeping at the time of the early morning fire and likely died from smoke inhalation. Fire officials were never able to determine the cause of the blaze, but they did not believe it was suspicious. 

 EMBED More News Videos SUNDAY 3PM NEWS CONFERENCE: Oakland officials said the death toll in the Ghost Ship warehouse fire has now climbed to 33. 
 
 A hotline has been put in place for those who cannot locate loved ones. 
 
 During a press conference Sunday, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaff announced the city's district attorney activated a criminal investigation team to look into the Ghost Ship fire that killed at least 33 people.Officials say that number is expected to rise, with only 35-40 percent of the building search complete so far. "We have another 60 plus percent to search and we're finding mobile homes, or trailers where people may have been living inside, those trailers will need to be searched, we don't even know if there's people inside of those," Kelly said.Seven different families have been notified that their loved ones have been positively identified. An Alameda County Sheriff's Office captain asked families during a press conference to save items for possible DNA identification. "Any family members or friends of the victims, if you can preserve any DNA type of equipment like combs, brushes and secure them in a brown paper bag," Alameda County Sheriff's Office Capt. Melanie Ditzenberger said.Officials announced there were teenagers among the death toll. "We have now started to recover and identify the victims who are minors. We do have some children in the ages of 17 years old, possibly younger," Alameda County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Ray Kelly said.On Sunday afternoon, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office confirmed that one of their deputies lost a son in the fire. "This tragedy hit very close to home for our agency. One of our deputies that we work with lost his son in this fire," Kelly said.At this time many people are stopping by the scene to drop off flowers for the victims.to donate and help the the families of the victims. The Warriors, Raiders, and Athletics are also teaming up to match donations.to check Facebook's Safety Check page.for all ABC7 News stories, videos, and photos from the Ghost Ship warehouse fire. 

 Photo: Darin Marshall Image 1 of / 60 Caption Close 
 
 Image 1 of 60 Fire crews battle a blaze in a warehouse known as the Oakland Ghost Ship on Friday, Dec. 2 at 1305 31st Ave. near International Boulevard in the Fruitvale neighborhood. The day after the blaze, 9 people were dead and dozens were missing. less Fire crews battle a blaze in a warehouse known as the Oakland Ghost Ship on Friday, Dec. 2 at 1305 31st Ave. near International Boulevard in the Fruitvale neighborhood. The day after the blaze, 9 people were ... more Photo: Darin Marshall 
 
 Image 2 of 60 An Alameda County Sheriff, center, escorts a woman carrying flowers at the site of a warehouse fire Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) An Alameda County Sheriff, center, escorts a woman carrying flowers at the site of a warehouse fire Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP 
 
 Image 3 of 60 Buy photo A recovery crew takes down a parapet on the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the building during an electronic music dance party Friday night. less A recovery crew takes down a parapet on the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the building during an ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 4 of 60 Buy photo Pairs of shoes dangle from overhead wires in front of the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the building during an electronic music dance party Friday night. less Pairs of shoes dangle from overhead wires in front of the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the building ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 5 of 60 Buy photo Firefighters use heavy equipment to remove debris that was burned inside the Ghost Ship warehouse as recovery efforts came to a close following the fire that claimed 36 lives in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, December 6, 2016. less Firefighters use heavy equipment to remove debris that was burned inside the Ghost Ship warehouse as recovery efforts came to a close following the fire that claimed 36 lives in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, ... more Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 6 of 60 Buy photo Mourners bow their heads while watching the recovery operation at the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the building during an electronic music dance party Friday night. less Mourners bow their heads while watching the recovery operation at the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 7 of 60 Buy photo Recovery efforts continue at the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the building during an electronic music dance party Friday night. less Recovery efforts continue at the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the building during an electronic music ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 8 of 60 Buy photo The recovery operation continues at the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the building during an electronic music dance party Friday night. less The recovery operation continues at the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the building during an electronic ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 9 of 60 Buy photo Participants hold their candles aloft during a vigil at Lake Merritt as recovery efforts continue following the Ghost Ship fire that has so far claimed 36 lives in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, December 5, 2016. Participants hold their candles aloft during a vigil at Lake Merritt as recovery efforts continue following the Ghost Ship fire that has so far claimed 36 lives in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, December 5, 2016. Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 10 of 60 Judy Hough, left, and her husband Brian, center, hold a picture of their son Travis, who died in a warehouse fire, during a vigil at Lake Merritt on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. Family members and friends are being notified as firefighters continue a painstaking search for victims of the Oakland warehouse fire. less Judy Hough, left, and her husband Brian, center, hold a picture of their son Travis, who died in a warehouse fire, during a vigil at Lake Merritt on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. Family members and ... more Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP 
 
 Image 11 of 60 Two people embrace at a vigil for the victims of a warehouse fire that has claimed the lives of at least thirty-six people on December 5, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire took place during a musical event late Friday night. less Two people embrace at a vigil for the victims of a warehouse fire that has claimed the lives of at least thirty-six people on December 5, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire took place during a musical event ... more Photo: Elijah Nouvelage, Getty Images 
 
 Image 12 of 60 Buy photo The Grand Lake Theater has updated its marquee with a message mourning the victims of the fire at the Ghost Ship warehouse, and especifically Nicole R. Siegrist, 29, who went by the name Denalda Nicole Renae, who is still considered missing, as recovery efforts continue in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, December 5, 2016. less The Grand Lake Theater has updated its marquee with a message mourning the victims of the fire at the Ghost Ship warehouse, and especifically Nicole R. Siegrist, 29, who went by the name Denalda Nicole Renae, ... more Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 13 of 60 This photo provided by the City of Oakland shows inside the burned warehouse after the deadly fire that broke out on Dec. 2, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. The death toll in the fire climbed Monday, Dec. 5, with more bodies still feared buried in the blackened ruins, and families anxiously awaited word of their missing loved ones. less This photo provided by the City of Oakland shows inside the burned warehouse after the deadly fire that broke out on Dec. 2, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. The death toll in the fire climbed Monday, Dec. 5, with more ... more Photo: City Of Oakland 
 
 Image 14 of 60 Buy photo Oakland Fire Department inspection crews meet as the assess the structural integrity of the building as recovery efforts continue following the Ghost Ship fire that has so far claimed 36 lives in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, December 5, 2016. less Oakland Fire Department inspection crews meet as the assess the structural integrity of the building as recovery efforts continue following the Ghost Ship fire that has so far claimed 36 lives in Oakland, ... more Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 15 of 60 Firefighters sift through debris inside the warehouse that burned in Oakland, Calif., Dec. 5, 2016. The inferno killed at least 36 people and is regarded as one of the worst structure fires in the United States in over a decade. (Jim Wilson/The New York Times) less Firefighters sift through debris inside the warehouse that burned in Oakland, Calif., Dec. 5, 2016. The inferno killed at least 36 people and is regarded as one of the worst structure fires in the United States ... more Photo: JIM WILSON, NYT 
 
 Image 16 of 60 Workers are seen cleaning debris from the site of a warehouse fire that has claimed the lives of at least thirty-six people on December 5, 2016 in Oakland. Workers are seen cleaning debris from the site of a warehouse fire that has claimed the lives of at least thirty-six people on December 5, 2016 in Oakland. Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images 
 
 Image 17 of 60 Buy photo Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley during an afternoon press conference at the scene of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire in Oakland on Monday, December 5, 2016. Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley during an afternoon press conference at the scene of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire in Oakland on Monday, December 5, 2016. Photo: Michael Short, Special To The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 18 of 60 Oakland fire captain Chris Foley wipes his brow at the site of a warehouse fire that has claimed the lives of at least thirty-six people on December 5, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire took place during a musical event late Friday night. less Oakland fire captain Chris Foley wipes his brow at the site of a warehouse fire that has claimed the lives of at least thirty-six people on December 5, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire took place during a ... more Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images 
 
 Image 19 of 60 Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern discusses the search and recovery efforts for victims at a media event near the site of a warehouse fire that has claimed the lives of at least thirty-six people on December 5, 2016 in Oakland less Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern discusses the search and recovery efforts for victims at a media event near the site of a warehouse fire that has claimed the lives of at least thirty-six people on December 5, ... more Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images 
 
 Image 20 of 60 "Hot spot" photos released by the Alameda County Sheriff's office show the recovery effort with in the Ghost Ship warehouse in Oakland on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016. "Hot spot" photos released by the Alameda County Sheriff's office show the recovery effort with in the Ghost Ship warehouse in Oakland on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016. Photo: Alameda County Sheriff's Office 
 
 Image 21 of 60 Students greet each other before going to class at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, in San Francisco, California, on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016. Students greet each other before going to class at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, in San Francisco, California, on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016. Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle 
 
 Image 22 of 60 Student Gabriel Bibliowicz,18, shows a photo of friend Draven McGill, 17, who was killed in the Ghostship fire in San Francisco, California, on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016. Student Gabriel Bibliowicz,18, shows a photo of friend Draven McGill, 17, who was killed in the Ghostship fire in San Francisco, California, on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016. Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle 
 
 Image 23 of 60 Buy photo Flowers are stuck into a street sign at the scene of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire in Oakland on Monday, December 5, 2016. Flowers are stuck into a street sign at the scene of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire in Oakland on Monday, December 5, 2016. Photo: Michael Short, Special To The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 24 of 60 Buy photo Onlookers are seen reflected in a picture of one of the victims of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire, in Oakland on Monday, December 5, 2016. Onlookers are seen reflected in a picture of one of the victims of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire, in Oakland on Monday, December 5, 2016. Photo: Michael Short, Special To The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 25 of 60 Buy photo Robert Lewis of Oakland pushes his daughter Sophie Lewis, 3, in a shopping cart past a memorial for victims of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire, in Oakland on Monday, December 5, 2016. Robert Lewis of Oakland pushes his daughter Sophie Lewis, 3, in a shopping cart past a memorial for victims of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire, in Oakland on Monday, December 5, 2016. Photo: Michael Short, Special To The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 26 of 60 People gather near a warehouse after it was destroyed by a fire, December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California. Up to 40 people were feared dead in a huge fire that tore through a rave party in a warehouse in Oakland, near San Francisco, as the authorities warned of a prolonged search and recovery effort. less People gather near a warehouse after it was destroyed by a fire, December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California. Up to 40 people were feared dead in a huge fire that tore through a rave party in a warehouse in ... more Photo: AFP/AFP/Getty Images 
 
 Image 27 of 60 Jenny Yang, right, kneels while she performs a recorded homage from her iphone at the scene of the Oakland warehouse fire on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. Though many of the victims' names have not been released, Yang believes she lost seven friends who were involved in the creation of the event where the fire broke out. The fire, at an artist's warehouse known as the "Ghost Ship," began late on the evening of December 2nd, with 33 confirmed dead so far. less Jenny Yang, right, kneels while she performs a recorded homage from her iphone at the scene of the Oakland warehouse fire on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. Though many of the victims' names have not ... more Photo: Pete Kiehart, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 28 of 60 Flowers, candles and notes left for victims of the Oakland warehouse fire are seen on the corner of 12th Street and 31st Avenue on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire, at an artist's warehouse known as the "Ghost Ship," began late on the evening of December 2nd, with 33 confirmed dead so far. less Flowers, candles and notes left for victims of the Oakland warehouse fire are seen on the corner of 12th Street and 31st Avenue on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire, at an artist's warehouse ... more Photo: Pete Kiehart, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 29 of 60 Emergency personnel stage in front of the site of a warehouse fire that started Friday night and killed dozens, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. The death toll was expected to rise, as crews using buckets and shovels slowly made their way through the building, finding victims where they least expected them, Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly said. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) less Emergency personnel stage in front of the site of a warehouse fire that started Friday night and killed dozens, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. The death toll was expected to rise, as crews using ... more Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press 
 
 Image 30 of 60 Trevor Hardee,, 19, left, hug, Jesse James Alexander, 24, of San Francisco, right, near the site of the warehouse fire in Oakland, CA December 4, 2016. Jesse believes he lost three friends in the fire. A fire broke out during a party Friday night at a two-story warehouse and artists' studio in Oakland, killing at least nine people and leaving about two dozen missing. less Trevor Hardee,, 19, left, hug, Jesse James Alexander, 24, of San Francisco, right, near the site of the warehouse fire in Oakland, CA December 4, 2016. Jesse believes he lost three friends in the fire. A fire ... more Photo: Francine Orr/LA Times Via Getty Images 
 
 Image 31 of 60 Nikki Kelber (far) and Carmen Brito (near), two residents of the warehouse that caught fire on December 2nd, look at the remnants of their former home on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. The two artists lived in the building with 22-24 other artists. "I woke up to my room filled with smoke...I looked ut and there was a wall of fire...this happened so fast" Brito said. The fire, at an artist's warehouse known as the "Ghost Ship," has claimed 33 confirmed dead so far. less Nikki Kelber (far) and Carmen Brito (near), two residents of the warehouse that caught fire on December 2nd, look at the remnants of their former home on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. The two artists ... more Photo: Pete Kiehart, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 32 of 60 The Ghost Ship warehouse, site of a fire that killed at least 30 people, is pictured on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. The Ghost Ship warehouse, site of a fire that killed at least 30 people, is pictured on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 33 of 60 The Ghost Ship warehouse, site of a fire that killed at least 30 people, is pictured on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. The Ghost Ship warehouse, site of a fire that killed at least 30 people, is pictured on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 34 of 60 Alameda County Sherrif's Sgt. Ray Kelly gives a press conference at the scene of the Oakland warehouse fire on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire, at an artist's warehouse known as the "Ghost Ship," began late on the evening of December 2nd, with 33 confirmed dead so far. less Alameda County Sherrif's Sgt. Ray Kelly gives a press conference at the scene of the Oakland warehouse fire on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire, at an artist's warehouse known as the "Ghost ... more Photo: Pete Kiehart, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 35 of 60 An onlooker holds flowers at the scene of a fire near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California An onlooker holds flowers at the scene of a fire near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California Photo: Pete Kiehart, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 36 of 60 A firefighter wipes his brow on the scene of a warehouse fire that has claimed dozens of lives on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire took place during a musical event late Friday night. A firefighter wipes his brow on the scene of a warehouse fire that has claimed dozens of lives on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire took place during a musical event late Friday night. Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images 
 
 Image 37 of 60 Elijah Hope kneels at the scene of the Ghost Ship warehouse fire at sunrise on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Oakland. Hope, who lives nearby, said he was "saying goodbye to the souls." Elijah Hope kneels at the scene of the Ghost Ship warehouse fire at sunrise on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Oakland. Hope, who lives nearby, said he was "saying goodbye to the souls." Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 38 of 60 Buy photo People look on at the media and police presence from behind a barricade at the scene of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire in Oakland, CA, on Sunday, December 4, 2016. People look on at the media and police presence from behind a barricade at the scene of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire in Oakland, CA, on Sunday, December 4, 2016. Photo: Michael Short, Special To The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 39 of 60 A man walks into the Sheriff's office in Oakland, Calif. on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016. The office is providing information to those who may have lost a loved one in the Ghost Ship fire. A man walks into the Sheriff's office in Oakland, Calif. on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016. The office is providing information to those who may have lost a loved one in the Ghost Ship fire. Photo: James Tensuan, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 40 of 60 Friends of a person who died in the fire place flowers near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland. Friends of a person who died in the fire place flowers near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland. Photo: Pete Kiehart, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 41 of 60 Mourners attend a vigil at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland on Saturday night following the deadly warehouse fire in the city on Saturday morning, December 3, 2016 in Oakland, Calif. Mourners attend a vigil at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland on Saturday night following the deadly warehouse fire in the city on Saturday morning, December 3, 2016 in Oakland, Calif. Photo: Amy Osborne, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 42 of 60 Genevieve Griesau, who has loved ones still unaccounted for, can't hold back her emotions at the vigil at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland on Saturday night following the deadly warehouse fire in the city on Dec. 3, 2016 in Oakland. less Genevieve Griesau, who has loved ones still unaccounted for, can't hold back her emotions at the vigil at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland on Saturday night following the deadly warehouse fire in the city on ... more Photo: Amy Osborne, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 43 of 60 Jenny Yang (center) and others at Eli's Mile High Club bar try to find more information about their friends, on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016, who attended a warehouse party in Oakland, Calif., that caught on fire. Jenny Yang (center) and others at Eli's Mile High Club bar try to find more information about their friends, on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016, who attended a warehouse party in Oakland, Calif., that caught on fire. Photo: Santiago Mejia, The Chronicle 
 
 Image 44 of 60 A man collapses on the ground while speaking with emergency personnel at the scene of a fire that killed at least nine people in Oakland on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. A man collapses on the ground while speaking with emergency personnel at the scene of a fire that killed at least nine people in Oakland on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 45 of 60 Firefighters work at the scene following an overnight fire that claimed the lives of at least 30 people at a warehouse in the Fruitvale neighborhood on December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California. The warehouse was hosting an electronic music party. less Firefighters work at the scene following an overnight fire that claimed the lives of at least 30 people at a warehouse in the Fruitvale neighborhood on December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California. The warehouse was ... more Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images 
 
 Image 46 of 60 Firefighters work at the scene of a fatal fire on 31st Ave. in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Firefighters work at the scene of a fatal fire on 31st Ave. in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Photo: Max Bouvatte, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 47 of 60 Fire crews battle a blaze in a warehouse known as the Oakland Ghost Ship on Friday, Dec. 2 at 1305 31st Ave. near International Boulevard in the Fruitvale neighborhood. Fire crews battle a blaze in a warehouse known as the Oakland Ghost Ship on Friday, Dec. 2 at 1305 31st Ave. near International Boulevard in the Fruitvale neighborhood. Photo: Darin Marshall 
 
 Image 48 of 60 Fire crews battle a blaze in a warehouse known as the Oakland Ghost Ship on Friday, Dec. 2 at 1305 31st Ave. near International Boulevard in the Fruitvale neighborhood. Fire crews battle a blaze in a warehouse known as the Oakland Ghost Ship on Friday, Dec. 2 at 1305 31st Ave. near International Boulevard in the Fruitvale neighborhood. Photo: Darin Marshall 
 
 Image 49 of 60 Firefighters work at the scene of a fatal fire on 31st Ave. in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Firefighters work at the scene of a fatal fire on 31st Ave. in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. less Firefighters work at the scene of a fatal fire on 31st Ave. in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Firefighters work at the scene of a fatal fire on 31st Ave. in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, ... more Photo: Max Bouvatte, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 50 of 60 A firefighter picks up debris at the scene of a fire near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland. A firefighter picks up debris at the scene of a fire near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland. Photo: Pete Kiehart, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 51 of 60 Firefighters close a door leading into a building that was the scene of a fire near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland. Firefighters close a door leading into a building that was the scene of a fire near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland. Photo: Pete Kiehart, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 52 of 60 A man is overcome with emotion while speaking with emergency personnel at the scene of a fire that killed at least nine people in Oakland on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. A man is overcome with emotion while speaking with emergency personnel at the scene of a fire that killed at least nine people in Oakland on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 53 of 60 Firefighters work on the scene following an overnight fire that claimed the lives of at least 30 people at a warehouse in the Fruitvale neighborhood on December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California. The warehouse was hosting an electronic music party. less Firefighters work on the scene following an overnight fire that claimed the lives of at least 30 people at a warehouse in the Fruitvale neighborhood on December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California. The warehouse was ... more Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images 
 
 Image 54 of 60 Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf speaks during a press conference at the scene of a fatal fire in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf speaks during a press conference at the scene of a fatal fire in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 55 of 60 Oakland Fire Chief Fire Teresa Deloach Reed covers her face during a press conference at the scene of a fatal fire in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Oakland Fire Chief Fire Teresa Deloach Reed covers her face during a press conference at the scene of a fatal fire in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 56 of 60 A law enforcement officer removes police line tape from a post near some flowers at the scene of a fire near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California. "You are my family, love you!" is written on the bouquet. less A law enforcement officer removes police line tape from a post near some flowers at the scene of a fire near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California. "You are my ... more Photo: Pete Kiehart, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 57 of 60 Buy photo Kim Gregory and her husband David Gregory, Sr. (left) wait for updates at an Alameda County Sheriff's office on the fate of their daughter Michela Gregory in Oakland, Calif. on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Michela was later identified as one of the dead. less Kim Gregory and her husband David Gregory, Sr. (left) wait for updates at an Alameda County Sheriff's office on the fate of their daughter Michela Gregory in Oakland, Calif. on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Michela ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 58 of 60 Buy photo Daniel Vega (back to camera) gathers with friends and family to wait for any word about his younger brother and his girlfriend at an Alameda County Sheriff's office, who are still missing after at least 30 people died and several others still unaccounted for in an overnight in Oakland on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. less Daniel Vega (back to camera) gathers with friends and family to wait for any word about his younger brother and his girlfriend at an Alameda County Sheriff's office, who are still missing after at least 30 ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 59 of 60 Buy photo Two women walk down East 12th Street outside of an Alameda County Sheriff's office while they await word on missing friends or family members in Oakland on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016 after at least 30 people died in an overnight fire. less Two women walk down East 12th Street outside of an Alameda County Sheriff's office while they await word on missing friends or family members in Oakland on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016 after at least 30 people died ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy this photo 

 Find the latest updates on the death toll, criminal and fire cause investigation and profiles of the victims here. 
 
 OAKLAND — Five months before Friday’s raging fire killed at least 33 people at the “Ghost Ship” warehouse, the architect of the cluttered artists’ cooperative took to Facebook in a 1,000-word rant claiming he was “the thriller love child of Manson, Pol Pot and Hitler.” 
 
 There was little sense to the bizarre writing of Derick Ion Almena, 46, known as a passionate artist from Los Angeles devoted to an alternative way of life who led the Oakland arts collective and commune with a distorted sense of reality. But he ended his writing with incredibly haunting words: “I can proverbally (sic) get away with murder.” 
 
 The warehouse had been rented for a dance party, Almena apparently wasn’t at the property Friday night, and no one has accused him of directly causing the fire. He does not own the structure. Police won’t say if they have questioned him — or anyone — but District Attorney Nancy O’Malley has opened a criminal investigation into the blaze at the facility, which wasn’t permitted for parties or residential living. 
 
 Almena’s name came up in discussions before the probe was announced, a law enforcement source close to the investigation told the Bay Area News Group. Attention has focused on the man behind the “Ghost Ship,” whom former residents and frequent visitors say was cavalier about safety hazards at the warehouse that many labeled a death trap. 
 
 “They said they would fix things, and then they would collect money. They never would use the money to fix things” – Shelley Mack, who lived at the warehouse in 2014-15. 
 
 Almena is no stranger to law enforcement. In January 2015, he pleaded no contest in Alameda County to a misdemeanor charge of receiving stolen property after negotiating a plea deal that saved him from facing a felony. He is on probation until 2019. Online records show his criminal history also includes an unspecified arrest in Los Angeles County. Efforts to reach Almena — whom people had identified Saturday as Derick Alemany — at addresses affiliated with him in Oakland have been unsuccessful. 
 
 Public outrage 
 
 Shortly after the blaze, he became a central figure of public outrage about the fire when he failed to mention the victims in a post on Facebook, lamenting his own loss: “Everything I worked so hard for is gone.” 
 
 A disturbing picture of Almena quickly emerged on social media and in interviews with people who know him; many skewered him as selfish and careless and for next-level narcissism, but some celebrated his unyielding quirky vibe. A deeper look into Almena’s past shows a man who sought to desperately defy convention in his art, work and life. 
 
 “This is NOT a nite club,” he wrote in a 2012 Facebook post about an event he promoted at Cloud 9 in Berkeley. “You will not be asked to leave at 2 am. You will not be subjected to plastic falsely proud deejays subjecting you to manufactured soul-less beats. You will be in the house of a living temple. Surrounded by magnificent Alters, Antique furniture, Balinese beds, Persian rugs, organic food and drink.” 
 
 A former neighbor from when Almena lived in the Oakland hills in the earlier part of the decade said he elicited suspicion from many in the calm hillside neighborhood. 
 
 WATCH: @MLauer and @TamronHall's full interview with Oakland warehouse manager Derick Almena https://t.co/LKvdwfWqvl — TODAY (@TODAYshow) December 6, 2016 
 
 Jurgen Braunngardt, the neighbor, said cars came and went from Almena’s home frequently at night, fueling suspicions. Almena was eccentric, the neighbor said, describing him as having “a way about him like he was founding a new religion. … I felt sorry about his wife and the people around him. It’s a tragedy.” 
 
 Almena and his wife, Micah Allison, and their three young children eventually moved into the Ghost Ship but were not there Friday night. The warehouse had been rented out for an underground dance party, as it often has been, and the couple spent the night at a hotel. 
 
 Danielle Boudreaux, a former friend of the couple, told the Associated Press she had a falling out with Almena when she persuaded Allison’s parents and sister about a year ago that the warehouse was a dangerous place for the couple’s three children to live. 
 
 “Oh my God, the children,” Allison’s relative Claudette Selvin, of Gardena, said Sunday upon hearing about the fire but learning the children were safe. 
 
 Almena’s Facebook posts, under the account Derick Ion, hinted at what some described as his growing instability. Others say drug use was widespread at the warehouse. 
 
 “Addictions never admitted armed me as revolutionary,” he wrote. “… as long as i seek help and healing, have current registration, pay my insurance, piss in a cup twice weekly … i can proverbally (sic) get away with murder.” 
 
 The couple didn’t own the Ghost Ship; they leased it from an Oakland landlord and lived at the warehouse, welcoming others to live and work in the building for $300 to $600 a month, according to interviews with former tenants. 
 
 Life in the Ghost Ship 
 
 Shelley Mack lived at the warehouse for a few months in 2014-15 and described Almena as gypsy-like, often spinning tales and writing poetry. But Mack said she was alarmed by the hazardous living conditions, questionable electrical hookups, artists using butane torches and by the propane tanks used to heat the showers upstairs. 
 
 “He knew all of it,” Mack said. “We argued a lot. They said they would fix things, and then they would collect money. They never would use the money to fix things.” 
 
 Oakland building inspectors were familiar with the property and had visited the site just last month after a complaint, but they couldn’t get inside. 
 
 Almena had converted the two-story space into a Burning Man-style arts collective and commune in Oakland’s Fruitvale district, cluttered with Persian rugs, dozens of pianos and a gangplank-style staircase to the second floor, where many of the victims of Friday’s fire were trapped. 
 
 Nikki Kelber, 44, a jewelry maker who lived in the Ghost Ship and narrowly escaped the fire with her cat, said Almena is being unfairly blamed for the fire. 
 
 “Their sole purpose was to create a space where artists could survive and thrive,” she said. “To point fingers at them is unfair. They are not bad people by any stretch of the imagination.” 
 
 While Almena’s building was known as the Ghost Ship, he had named the arts collective Satya Yuga, which in Hinduism refers to an initial golden age marked by knowledge, meditation, repentance and good deeds. 
 
 One poster on Facebook described how the “inside of the warehouse looked like his mind … beautifully exotic and creative, but with sharp edges, dangerous corners, hazardous materials and twisting turning darkness.” 
 
 “I’ve had years of being in community and hearing people have dangerous encounters with him. … All the Balinese art that’s inside is his. Same for the antiques. Same for the wooden boards and nails jutting out at all angles. Same for the mushroom infested furniture,” the Facebook poster said. “It’s his design. There wasn’t any interest in making the space be safe for people. And since so many people didn’t want to deal with him due to the trauma they went through, they stayed away.” 
 
 Alexander Dore, another former resident, fondly described the warehouse on Facebook as “a collective, a commune, a temple, a home, a place to run free stoned naked without fear, it was a sacred space that wasn’t owned by the government.” 
 
 But now, Dore wrote, it is a “mausoleum for the dead.” 
 
 Staff writer Julia Prodis Sulek and Aaron R. Davis contributed to this report. 

 Photo: NICK OTTO, AFP/Getty Images Image 1 of / 60 Caption Close 
 
 Image 1 of 60 Alameda County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly addresses the media December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. The death toll from a fire at a California warehouse where a rave party had been taking place rose to 30 on Sunday, authorities said. "We have confirmed that the count of the deceased at 30. That is an astronomical number," Kelly of the Alameda County Sheriff's Department told reporters. / AFP PHOTO / Nick OttoNICK OTTO/AFP/Getty Images less Alameda County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly addresses the media December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. The death toll from a fire at a California warehouse where a rave party had been taking ... more Photo: NICK OTTO, AFP/Getty Images 
 
 Image 2 of 60 An Alameda County Sheriff, center, escorts a woman carrying flowers at the site of a warehouse fire Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) An Alameda County Sheriff, center, escorts a woman carrying flowers at the site of a warehouse fire Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP 
 
 Image 3 of 60 Buy photo A recovery crew takes down a parapet on the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the building during an electronic music dance party Friday night. less A recovery crew takes down a parapet on the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the building during an ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 4 of 60 Buy photo Pairs of shoes dangle from overhead wires in front of the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the building during an electronic music dance party Friday night. less Pairs of shoes dangle from overhead wires in front of the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the building ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 5 of 60 Buy photo Firefighters use heavy equipment to remove debris that was burned inside the Ghost Ship warehouse as recovery efforts came to a close following the fire that claimed 36 lives in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, December 6, 2016. less Firefighters use heavy equipment to remove debris that was burned inside the Ghost Ship warehouse as recovery efforts came to a close following the fire that claimed 36 lives in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, ... more Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 6 of 60 Buy photo Mourners bow their heads while watching the recovery operation at the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the building during an electronic music dance party Friday night. less Mourners bow their heads while watching the recovery operation at the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 7 of 60 Buy photo Recovery efforts continue at the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the building during an electronic music dance party Friday night. less Recovery efforts continue at the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the building during an electronic music ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 8 of 60 Buy photo The recovery operation continues at the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the building during an electronic music dance party Friday night. less The recovery operation continues at the Ghost Ship artist collective warehouse in Oakland, Calif. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016 where at least 36 people died after a fire engulfed the building during an electronic ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 9 of 60 Buy photo Participants hold their candles aloft during a vigil at Lake Merritt as recovery efforts continue following the Ghost Ship fire that has so far claimed 36 lives in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, December 5, 2016. Participants hold their candles aloft during a vigil at Lake Merritt as recovery efforts continue following the Ghost Ship fire that has so far claimed 36 lives in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, December 5, 2016. Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 10 of 60 Judy Hough, left, and her husband Brian, center, hold a picture of their son Travis, who died in a warehouse fire, during a vigil at Lake Merritt on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. Family members and friends are being notified as firefighters continue a painstaking search for victims of the Oakland warehouse fire. less Judy Hough, left, and her husband Brian, center, hold a picture of their son Travis, who died in a warehouse fire, during a vigil at Lake Merritt on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. Family members and ... more Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP 
 
 Image 11 of 60 Two people embrace at a vigil for the victims of a warehouse fire that has claimed the lives of at least thirty-six people on December 5, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire took place during a musical event late Friday night. less Two people embrace at a vigil for the victims of a warehouse fire that has claimed the lives of at least thirty-six people on December 5, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire took place during a musical event ... more Photo: Elijah Nouvelage, Getty Images 
 
 Image 12 of 60 Buy photo The Grand Lake Theater has updated its marquee with a message mourning the victims of the fire at the Ghost Ship warehouse, and especifically Nicole R. Siegrist, 29, who went by the name Denalda Nicole Renae, who is still considered missing, as recovery efforts continue in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, December 5, 2016. less The Grand Lake Theater has updated its marquee with a message mourning the victims of the fire at the Ghost Ship warehouse, and especifically Nicole R. Siegrist, 29, who went by the name Denalda Nicole Renae, ... more Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 13 of 60 This photo provided by the City of Oakland shows inside the burned warehouse after the deadly fire that broke out on Dec. 2, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. The death toll in the fire climbed Monday, Dec. 5, with more bodies still feared buried in the blackened ruins, and families anxiously awaited word of their missing loved ones. less This photo provided by the City of Oakland shows inside the burned warehouse after the deadly fire that broke out on Dec. 2, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. The death toll in the fire climbed Monday, Dec. 5, with more ... more Photo: City Of Oakland 
 
 Image 14 of 60 Buy photo Oakland Fire Department inspection crews meet as the assess the structural integrity of the building as recovery efforts continue following the Ghost Ship fire that has so far claimed 36 lives in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, December 5, 2016. less Oakland Fire Department inspection crews meet as the assess the structural integrity of the building as recovery efforts continue following the Ghost Ship fire that has so far claimed 36 lives in Oakland, ... more Photo: Carlos Avila Gonzalez, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 15 of 60 Firefighters sift through debris inside the warehouse that burned in Oakland, Calif., Dec. 5, 2016. The inferno killed at least 36 people and is regarded as one of the worst structure fires in the United States in over a decade. (Jim Wilson/The New York Times) less Firefighters sift through debris inside the warehouse that burned in Oakland, Calif., Dec. 5, 2016. The inferno killed at least 36 people and is regarded as one of the worst structure fires in the United States ... more Photo: JIM WILSON, NYT 
 
 Image 16 of 60 Workers are seen cleaning debris from the site of a warehouse fire that has claimed the lives of at least thirty-six people on December 5, 2016 in Oakland. Workers are seen cleaning debris from the site of a warehouse fire that has claimed the lives of at least thirty-six people on December 5, 2016 in Oakland. Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images 
 
 Image 17 of 60 Buy photo Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley during an afternoon press conference at the scene of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire in Oakland on Monday, December 5, 2016. Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley during an afternoon press conference at the scene of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire in Oakland on Monday, December 5, 2016. Photo: Michael Short, Special To The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 18 of 60 Oakland fire captain Chris Foley wipes his brow at the site of a warehouse fire that has claimed the lives of at least thirty-six people on December 5, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire took place during a musical event late Friday night. less Oakland fire captain Chris Foley wipes his brow at the site of a warehouse fire that has claimed the lives of at least thirty-six people on December 5, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire took place during a ... more Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images 
 
 Image 19 of 60 Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern discusses the search and recovery efforts for victims at a media event near the site of a warehouse fire that has claimed the lives of at least thirty-six people on December 5, 2016 in Oakland less Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern discusses the search and recovery efforts for victims at a media event near the site of a warehouse fire that has claimed the lives of at least thirty-six people on December 5, ... more Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images 
 
 Image 20 of 60 "Hot spot" photos released by the Alameda County Sheriff's office show the recovery effort with in the Ghost Ship warehouse in Oakland on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016. "Hot spot" photos released by the Alameda County Sheriff's office show the recovery effort with in the Ghost Ship warehouse in Oakland on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016. Photo: Alameda County Sheriff's Office 
 
 Image 21 of 60 Students greet each other before going to class at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, in San Francisco, California, on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016. Students greet each other before going to class at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, in San Francisco, California, on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016. Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle 
 
 Image 22 of 60 Student Gabriel Bibliowicz,18, shows a photo of friend Draven McGill, 17, who was killed in the Ghostship fire in San Francisco, California, on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016. Student Gabriel Bibliowicz,18, shows a photo of friend Draven McGill, 17, who was killed in the Ghostship fire in San Francisco, California, on Monday, Dec. 5, 2016. Photo: Gabrielle Lurie, The Chronicle 
 
 Image 23 of 60 Buy photo Flowers are stuck into a street sign at the scene of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire in Oakland on Monday, December 5, 2016. Flowers are stuck into a street sign at the scene of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire in Oakland on Monday, December 5, 2016. Photo: Michael Short, Special To The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 24 of 60 Buy photo Onlookers are seen reflected in a picture of one of the victims of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire, in Oakland on Monday, December 5, 2016. Onlookers are seen reflected in a picture of one of the victims of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire, in Oakland on Monday, December 5, 2016. Photo: Michael Short, Special To The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 25 of 60 Buy photo Robert Lewis of Oakland pushes his daughter Sophie Lewis, 3, in a shopping cart past a memorial for victims of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire, in Oakland on Monday, December 5, 2016. Robert Lewis of Oakland pushes his daughter Sophie Lewis, 3, in a shopping cart past a memorial for victims of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire, in Oakland on Monday, December 5, 2016. Photo: Michael Short, Special To The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 26 of 60 People gather near a warehouse after it was destroyed by a fire, December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California. Up to 40 people were feared dead in a huge fire that tore through a rave party in a warehouse in Oakland, near San Francisco, as the authorities warned of a prolonged search and recovery effort. less People gather near a warehouse after it was destroyed by a fire, December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California. Up to 40 people were feared dead in a huge fire that tore through a rave party in a warehouse in ... more Photo: AFP/AFP/Getty Images 
 
 Image 27 of 60 Jenny Yang, right, kneels while she performs a recorded homage from her iphone at the scene of the Oakland warehouse fire on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. Though many of the victims' names have not been released, Yang believes she lost seven friends who were involved in the creation of the event where the fire broke out. The fire, at an artist's warehouse known as the "Ghost Ship," began late on the evening of December 2nd, with 33 confirmed dead so far. less Jenny Yang, right, kneels while she performs a recorded homage from her iphone at the scene of the Oakland warehouse fire on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. Though many of the victims' names have not ... more Photo: Pete Kiehart, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 28 of 60 Flowers, candles and notes left for victims of the Oakland warehouse fire are seen on the corner of 12th Street and 31st Avenue on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire, at an artist's warehouse known as the "Ghost Ship," began late on the evening of December 2nd, with 33 confirmed dead so far. less Flowers, candles and notes left for victims of the Oakland warehouse fire are seen on the corner of 12th Street and 31st Avenue on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire, at an artist's warehouse ... more Photo: Pete Kiehart, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 29 of 60 Emergency personnel stage in front of the site of a warehouse fire that started Friday night and killed dozens, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. The death toll was expected to rise, as crews using buckets and shovels slowly made their way through the building, finding victims where they least expected them, Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Kelly said. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) less Emergency personnel stage in front of the site of a warehouse fire that started Friday night and killed dozens, Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. The death toll was expected to rise, as crews using ... more Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press 
 
 Image 30 of 60 Trevor Hardee,, 19, left, hug, Jesse James Alexander, 24, of San Francisco, right, near the site of the warehouse fire in Oakland, CA December 4, 2016. Jesse believes he lost three friends in the fire. A fire broke out during a party Friday night at a two-story warehouse and artists' studio in Oakland, killing at least nine people and leaving about two dozen missing. less Trevor Hardee,, 19, left, hug, Jesse James Alexander, 24, of San Francisco, right, near the site of the warehouse fire in Oakland, CA December 4, 2016. Jesse believes he lost three friends in the fire. A fire ... more Photo: Francine Orr/LA Times Via Getty Images 
 
 Image 31 of 60 Nikki Kelber (far) and Carmen Brito (near), two residents of the warehouse that caught fire on December 2nd, look at the remnants of their former home on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. The two artists lived in the building with 22-24 other artists. "I woke up to my room filled with smoke...I looked ut and there was a wall of fire...this happened so fast" Brito said. The fire, at an artist's warehouse known as the "Ghost Ship," has claimed 33 confirmed dead so far. less Nikki Kelber (far) and Carmen Brito (near), two residents of the warehouse that caught fire on December 2nd, look at the remnants of their former home on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. The two artists ... more Photo: Pete Kiehart, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 32 of 60 The Ghost Ship warehouse, site of a fire that killed at least 30 people, is pictured on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. The Ghost Ship warehouse, site of a fire that killed at least 30 people, is pictured on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 33 of 60 The Ghost Ship warehouse, site of a fire that killed at least 30 people, is pictured on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. The Ghost Ship warehouse, site of a fire that killed at least 30 people, is pictured on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Oakland, Calif. Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 34 of 60 Alameda County Sherrif's Sgt. Ray Kelly gives a press conference at the scene of the Oakland warehouse fire on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire, at an artist's warehouse known as the "Ghost Ship," began late on the evening of December 2nd, with 33 confirmed dead so far. less Alameda County Sherrif's Sgt. Ray Kelly gives a press conference at the scene of the Oakland warehouse fire on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire, at an artist's warehouse known as the "Ghost ... more Photo: Pete Kiehart, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 35 of 60 An onlooker holds flowers at the scene of a fire near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California An onlooker holds flowers at the scene of a fire near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California Photo: Pete Kiehart, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 36 of 60 A firefighter wipes his brow on the scene of a warehouse fire that has claimed dozens of lives on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire took place during a musical event late Friday night. A firefighter wipes his brow on the scene of a warehouse fire that has claimed dozens of lives on December 4, 2016 in Oakland, California. The fire took place during a musical event late Friday night. Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images 
 
 Image 37 of 60 Elijah Hope kneels at the scene of the Ghost Ship warehouse fire at sunrise on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Oakland. Hope, who lives nearby, said he was "saying goodbye to the souls." Elijah Hope kneels at the scene of the Ghost Ship warehouse fire at sunrise on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016, in Oakland. Hope, who lives nearby, said he was "saying goodbye to the souls." Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 38 of 60 Buy photo People look on at the media and police presence from behind a barricade at the scene of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire in Oakland, CA, on Sunday, December 4, 2016. People look on at the media and police presence from behind a barricade at the scene of the Ghost Ship artist warehouse fire in Oakland, CA, on Sunday, December 4, 2016. Photo: Michael Short, Special To The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 39 of 60 A man walks into the Sheriff's office in Oakland, Calif. on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016. The office is providing information to those who may have lost a loved one in the Ghost Ship fire. A man walks into the Sheriff's office in Oakland, Calif. on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2016. The office is providing information to those who may have lost a loved one in the Ghost Ship fire. Photo: James Tensuan, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 40 of 60 Friends of a person who died in the fire place flowers near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland. Friends of a person who died in the fire place flowers near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland. Photo: Pete Kiehart, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 41 of 60 Mourners attend a vigil at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland on Saturday night following the deadly warehouse fire in the city on Saturday morning, December 3, 2016 in Oakland, Calif. Mourners attend a vigil at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland on Saturday night following the deadly warehouse fire in the city on Saturday morning, December 3, 2016 in Oakland, Calif. Photo: Amy Osborne, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 42 of 60 Genevieve Griesau, who has loved ones still unaccounted for, can't hold back her emotions at the vigil at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland on Saturday night following the deadly warehouse fire in the city on Dec. 3, 2016 in Oakland. less Genevieve Griesau, who has loved ones still unaccounted for, can't hold back her emotions at the vigil at the Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland on Saturday night following the deadly warehouse fire in the city on ... more Photo: Amy Osborne, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 43 of 60 Jenny Yang (center) and others at Eli's Mile High Club bar try to find more information about their friends, on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016, who attended a warehouse party in Oakland, Calif., that caught on fire. Jenny Yang (center) and others at Eli's Mile High Club bar try to find more information about their friends, on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016, who attended a warehouse party in Oakland, Calif., that caught on fire. Photo: Santiago Mejia, The Chronicle 
 
 Image 44 of 60 A man collapses on the ground while speaking with emergency personnel at the scene of a fire that killed at least nine people in Oakland on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. A man collapses on the ground while speaking with emergency personnel at the scene of a fire that killed at least nine people in Oakland on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 45 of 60 Firefighters work at the scene following an overnight fire that claimed the lives of at least 30 people at a warehouse in the Fruitvale neighborhood on December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California. The warehouse was hosting an electronic music party. less Firefighters work at the scene following an overnight fire that claimed the lives of at least 30 people at a warehouse in the Fruitvale neighborhood on December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California. The warehouse was ... more Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images 
 
 Image 46 of 60 Firefighters work at the scene of a fatal fire on 31st Ave. in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Firefighters work at the scene of a fatal fire on 31st Ave. in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Photo: Max Bouvatte, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 47 of 60 Fire crews battle a blaze in a warehouse known as the Oakland Ghost Ship on Friday, Dec. 2 at 1305 31st Ave. near International Boulevard in the Fruitvale neighborhood. Fire crews battle a blaze in a warehouse known as the Oakland Ghost Ship on Friday, Dec. 2 at 1305 31st Ave. near International Boulevard in the Fruitvale neighborhood. Photo: Darin Marshall 
 
 Image 48 of 60 Fire crews battle a blaze in a warehouse known as the Oakland Ghost Ship on Friday, Dec. 2 at 1305 31st Ave. near International Boulevard in the Fruitvale neighborhood. Fire crews battle a blaze in a warehouse known as the Oakland Ghost Ship on Friday, Dec. 2 at 1305 31st Ave. near International Boulevard in the Fruitvale neighborhood. Photo: Darin Marshall 
 
 Image 49 of 60 Firefighters work at the scene of a fatal fire on 31st Ave. in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Firefighters work at the scene of a fatal fire on 31st Ave. in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. less Firefighters work at the scene of a fatal fire on 31st Ave. in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Firefighters work at the scene of a fatal fire on 31st Ave. in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, ... more Photo: Max Bouvatte, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 50 of 60 A firefighter picks up debris at the scene of a fire near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland. A firefighter picks up debris at the scene of a fire near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland. Photo: Pete Kiehart, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 51 of 60 Firefighters close a door leading into a building that was the scene of a fire near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland. Firefighters close a door leading into a building that was the scene of a fire near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland. Photo: Pete Kiehart, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 52 of 60 A man is overcome with emotion while speaking with emergency personnel at the scene of a fire that killed at least nine people in Oakland on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. A man is overcome with emotion while speaking with emergency personnel at the scene of a fire that killed at least nine people in Oakland on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 53 of 60 Firefighters work on the scene following an overnight fire that claimed the lives of at least 30 people at a warehouse in the Fruitvale neighborhood on December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California. The warehouse was hosting an electronic music party. less Firefighters work on the scene following an overnight fire that claimed the lives of at least 30 people at a warehouse in the Fruitvale neighborhood on December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California. The warehouse was ... more Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images 
 
 Image 54 of 60 Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf speaks during a press conference at the scene of a fatal fire in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf speaks during a press conference at the scene of a fatal fire in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 55 of 60 Oakland Fire Chief Fire Teresa Deloach Reed covers her face during a press conference at the scene of a fatal fire in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Oakland Fire Chief Fire Teresa Deloach Reed covers her face during a press conference at the scene of a fatal fire in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Photo: Noah Berger, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 56 of 60 A law enforcement officer removes police line tape from a post near some flowers at the scene of a fire near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California. "You are my family, love you!" is written on the bouquet. less A law enforcement officer removes police line tape from a post near some flowers at the scene of a fire near 31st Avenue and International Boulevard on December 3, 2016 in Oakland, California. "You are my ... more Photo: Pete Kiehart, Special To The Chronicle 
 
 Image 57 of 60 Buy photo Kim Gregory and her husband David Gregory, Sr. (left) wait for updates at an Alameda County Sheriff's office on the fate of their daughter Michela Gregory in Oakland, Calif. on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Michela was later identified as one of the dead. less Kim Gregory and her husband David Gregory, Sr. (left) wait for updates at an Alameda County Sheriff's office on the fate of their daughter Michela Gregory in Oakland, Calif. on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. Michela ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 58 of 60 Buy photo Daniel Vega (back to camera) gathers with friends and family to wait for any word about his younger brother and his girlfriend at an Alameda County Sheriff's office, who are still missing after at least 30 people died and several others still unaccounted for in an overnight in Oakland on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016. less Daniel Vega (back to camera) gathers with friends and family to wait for any word about his younger brother and his girlfriend at an Alameda County Sheriff's office, who are still missing after at least 30 ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy this photo 
 
 Image 59 of 60 Buy photo Two women walk down East 12th Street outside of an Alameda County Sheriff's office while they await word on missing friends or family members in Oakland on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016 after at least 30 people died in an overnight fire. less Two women walk down East 12th Street outside of an Alameda County Sheriff's office while they await word on missing friends or family members in Oakland on Saturday, Dec. 3, 2016 after at least 30 people died ... more Photo: Paul Chinn, The Chronicle Buy this photo 

 Oakland, California (CNN) The search for answers continued Tuesday in Oakland as city, state and federal agencies sifted through wreckage in one of the city's deadliest building fires on record. 
 
 Bucket by bucket, investigators painstakingly removed debris from inside the warehouse-turned-art-space, narrowing the fire's origin to the rear of the building, Oakland Fire Deputy Director Darin White said. By Monday afternoon, about 70% of the building had been cleared. 
 
 In another area of the property, the sheriff''s coroner began autopsies on the 36 bodies so far discovered, Alameda County Sheriff Gregory J. Ahern said. 
 
 A criminal investigation team from the Alameda County District Attorney's Office is on site, working alongside law enforcement, the Oakland Fire Department and federal investigators to ascertain criminal liability, and, if so, who could be responsible, District Attorney Nancy O'Malley said. 
 
 "It is not clear right now and is too early to speculate," she said of the circumstances of the fire that broke out late Friday. "We will leave no stone unturned." 
 
 Meanwhile, questions remain about leaseholder Derick Ion Almena, the man behind the arts collective known as the Ghost Ship , and what, if anything, could have been done to prevent the tragedy. Almena, who is believed to have been away from the site when the fire broke out, has not responded to CNN's requests for comment, but spoke to CNN affiliate KGO 
 
 "They're my children. They're my friends, they're my family, they're my loves, they're my future," Almena told the station, referring to the Ghost Ship residents. "What else do I have to say?" 
 
 Death toll keeps climbing 
 
 In the wake of the tragedy, a fence and sidewalk near the site became a memorial, with loved ones and others leaving flowers, candles, photographs and messages. 
 
 At least 36 people are confirmed dead, including teenagers, a deputy's son, and three people from outside the US, in the blaze, which gutted the converted warehouse during an electronic dance party Friday night. Twenty-two victims have been positively identified and their families have been notified. An additional 10 victims have been tentatively identified and three victims need scientific identification, the city said in a statement. 
 
 Most of the bodies were found in the center of the building, Oakland Fire Battalion Chief Melinda Drayton said. 
 
 The fire spread so quickly that resident Jose Avalos had no time to help, he told CNN. He was in his loft when he heard someone call for an extinguisher. Before he could get down to offer support, he heard someone say, "Fire! Everyone get out!" 
 
 He grabbed his dogs and rushed to the front door where he fell into others trying to escape, he said. 
 
 "By the time I was through the front doors, I could just see the flames coming and then they just engulfed the front archway of my studio," he said. "I looked back and I just saw smoke everywhere. I couldn't really see anything. Got out of the building and I just saw smoke and then flames coming out the doors and the windows." 
 
 One of deadliest fires ever in Oakland 
 
 It could take weeks to identify victims through DNA and dental records, Alameda County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Ray Kelly said. Officials have asked victims' families to preserve their loved ones' personal belongings, including hairbrushes and toothbrushes, that could contain DNA samples. Kelly added that officials were also working with the transgender community to identify some of the victims. 
 
 Drayton, a 19-year veteran, called it one of the deadliest fires in the city's history, including a 1991 fire in Oakland Hills that killed 25 people. 
 
 Southern California artist Anneke Hiatt, who has been monitoring the situation because she had friends there, said she is starting to lose hope. 
 
 "It just doesn't seem that that's a fire that's survivable, so the reality, I think for a lot of us, is beginning to set in," she said. 
 
 'I had to let him go' 
 
 Photos: Oakland warehouse party fire A fire breaks out Friday night, December 2, during a party at a two-story warehouse and artists' studio in Oakland, California. Initial reports indicate dozens of people were in the building when the deadly blaze started, the Oakland fire chief says. Hide Caption 1 of 7 Photos: Oakland warehouse party fire The scene as firefighters battle the blaze from video footage by @Oaklandfirelive early Saturday, December 3. Hide Caption 2 of 7 Photos: Oakland warehouse party fire Firefighters begin to assess the scene of the warehouse fire on December 3. Hide Caption 3 of 7 Photos: Oakland warehouse party fire Firefighters have not been able to search the entire building, the fire chief says. Hide Caption 4 of 7 Photos: Oakland warehouse party fire Crew will remove debris and make sure the warehouse is safe for searching. Hide Caption 5 of 7 Photos: Oakland warehouse party fire Firefighters clear an entry to the smoldering warehouse. Hide Caption 6 of 7 Photos: Oakland warehouse party fire Officials will begin investigating to determine the cause of the fire. The Alameda County Sheriff's Coroner's Bureau and the Arson Task Force were called to the scene. Hide Caption 7 of 7 
 
 For filmmaker and photographer Bob Mulé, the warehouse was both his home and his community. The 27-year-old stopped to listen to some music Friday night before heading downstairs to work on a painting. He smelled smoke from his studio. 
 
 As Mulé rushed to save his camera and laptop, he spotted a heavy-set artist who called out for help. 
 
 "I broke my ankle. I need you to pull me out," a distraught Mulé recalled the artist saying. "The fire was just getting too hot and the smoke was just getting too bad and I had to leave him there." 
 
 A haven for artists 
 
 The interior of The Ghost Ship, the warehouse that caught fire on Friday, December 2. 
 
 To the artists who lived and worked there, the Ghost Ship was a coveted haven in the Bay Area's gentrifying landscape of skyrocketing rents and disappearing artist spaces. Residents estimate 20 to 25 artists lived there. 
 
 Photos posted online show an interior containing drums, keyboards, guitars, clocks, ornate beds, plush sofas, mirrored dressers, tables, benches and artifacts. Exotic lamps hung from the ceiling, and paintings adorned the walls. 
 
 "It was not a bunch of irresponsible people looking for a drug thrill," Swan Vega, a 33-year-old resident, told CNN. "It was a known community house, a place for the creative class to support each other, gain momentum, hash out projects, and just be joyous. And this is the most tragic outcome. 
 
 Darin Ranelletti, Oakland's interim director of planning and building, said the city approved permits for the building to be used only as a warehouse, not for residences. City officials also had not signed off on a special permit for the event, Ranelletti said. 
 
 In addition, firefighters found no evidence of sprinklers in the warehouse. 
 
 Vega, who said "nobody should've been living there," called for more affording housing for artists in the Bay Area. 
 
 "We need housing," she said. "We need help." 
 
 Past concerns 
 
 Last month, the warehouse's owners had received notification of city code violations for hazardous trash and debris, property records show. 
 
 Former California State Chief Fire Marshal James McMullen said it was his understanding that the owner of the space had been approached about illegal occupancy and trash and debris strewn "around in the way of forming a fire hazard." 
 
 JUST WATCHED Before and after the fatal Ghost Ship fire Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Before and after the fatal Ghost Ship fire 00:49 
 
 Shelley Mack, a jewelry maker who lived at the Ghost Ship until February 2015, said she paid $700 to move in and another $700 for improvements that never came. The sole bathroom for residents was in bad repair, a transformer blew a couple of weeks after she moved in and fires were sparked by faulty electrical cords, she said. The space had intermittent power and heat when she lived there, she said. 
 
 "Not long after I moved in, I found out we had to hide our things when the owner came by because it's not slated as a live/work place and we all lived there," she said. "I expected it to be shut down a long time ago." 
 
 Mack claimed police were well aware people were living in the warehouse because they were called there weekly. She called police herself three times in one week, and other government agencies, including Child Protective Services, paid visits to the warehouse, she said. 
 
 City Councilman Noel Gallo lives a block from the Ghost Ship and told CNN he was aware people were living there. After hearing Mack's allegations, he said, "It's really inexcusable in terms of our response." 
 
 Gallo knew the owner and the manager of the space and said "we've had a good number of conversations regarding the upkeep of the property on the street level/sidewalk level, as well as on the inside." 
 
 Drayton, the fire battalion chief, told reporters Monday that if Oakland police had been called to the warehouse, they might have captured footage that could be useful to the investigation. 
 
 "We're looking at everything from our body-worn camera footage, how many calls we at the Oakland Police Department have gone to, what types of calls, documentation when working with our planning and building department," she said. "We have a lot of moving parts." 
 
 CNN has reached out to the property owners for comment. 

 OAKLAND — Chris Dunn stood on International Boulevard on Sunday, across from the charred artist warehouse where dozens of people perished in a deadly fire Friday night, and shared a fear that is on the minds of many in this city’s celebrated arts community. 
 
 As they grieved for friends killed in the inferno at the Ghost Ship warehouse on 31st Avenue, artists, musicians and partygoers from east to west Oakland couldn’t help but worry about a backlash of building inspections at other warehouse collectives. 
 
 “There’s going to be a draconian overreaction to shut everything down,” said Dunn, 42, who has attended events at the collective in the Fruitvale neighborhood. “That would only add to the tragedy.” 
 
 “People are getting worried (the fire) is gonna be used against us,” said Katelyn Charvoz, of West Oakland. The 25-year-old said she’s been involved in the music/party scene since she was about 15. “The city’s gonna paint us as some ugly, crusty, punk kids that are up to no good. If they buy up all the warehouses on every street and kick everyone out, it will just hurt the arts community here.” 
 
 The tragic warehouse fire is roiling an already simmering tension between official Oakland and a vibrant, free-wheeling arts community that has given life to many of its former industrial neighborhoods in recent years. Already, rising rents were threatening to dislodge some of these artistic centers; now concerns about lack of proper permitting and unsafe conditions, like what existed at the Ghost Ship, could add to the pressure. 
 
 As far back as the 1980s, artists’ live and work spaces have been hives of creativity inside converted industrial buildings left empty after many of Oakland’s blue-collar manufacturing companies closed. Large, open and dirt-cheap, the vacant buildings of West Oakland and East Oakland were attractive to artists and developers desperate for tenants. 
 
 Related Articles State supreme court allows Ghost Ship lawsuit against Oakland to proceed 
 
 Ghost Ship fire attorney says ‘mob hysteria’ swayed judge to toss plea deal They became homes to punks, sculptors, musicians, Burning Man artists, people in construction — makers of things responsible for creating the First Friday festival and putting Oakland on the international art scene map. Parties are a constant theme, and some raise money to pay rent like the Ghost Ship event Friday night. 
 
 A lot has changed since the first and second wave of artists came to Oakland. A round of development ushered in during the Mayor Jerry Brown era converted some of those former manufacturing sites into gleaming new condos. This time around, rents are skyrocketing, and landlords are finding ways to evict or push out artists for a new wave of tech and wealthier residents willing to pay more. 
 
 Mayors from Brown to Libby Schaaf have embraced Oakland’s thriving underground art scene and its more recent transformation to a global happening place that has garnered the East Bay city international attention and helped make it a tourist destination. 
 
 Schaaf often arrives at parades and other events in a fire-breathing art car in the shape of a large snail, fabricated by Burning Man artist Jon Sarriugarte, and has attended events in converted arts spaces around town. She has pledged to do all she can to preserve and promote the arts and spaces for artists in Oakland. 
 
 So Friday’s tragedy has put city officials in a bind: Red-tagging unsafe or unpermitted buildings used by artists will likely reduce an already scarce supply of affordable space. But ignoring code violations puts residents at risk. 
 
 In January, Oakland city building inspectors deemed 1919 Market St., a large, two-story warehouse hub in West Oakland unsafe because of illegal construction and ordered the metal and wood workers to leave. In May, residents at Ghost Town Gallery on San Pablo Avenue, a 12-year-old warehouse shared mostly by musicians, were evicted. The landlord claimed the construction done inside by tenants was unsafe, but after doing some minor renovations, the place is advertising for new tenants — at a much loftier price. 
 
 An ad on Craigslist last month listed the rent as three times what the Ghost Town Gallery residents paid and boasted of having space for a yoga studio. 
 
 “They don’t want you to have affordable rent,” said Damon Gallagher, who was the master tenant at Ghost Town and has since left Oakland. “There was blood dripping out of their mouths, dollar signs in their eyes.” 
 
 The 1919 Market evictions had artists who live in warehouses around the city worried that their buildings were next. Now they wonder if that was one reason why no one at Ghost Ship answered the door when city inspectors showed up Nov. 17. 
 
 “Who is going to want to call inspectors and risk losing their space?” Dunn wondered. 
 
 On Sunday Schaaf was asked how the city will balance the need for artists’ safety with making sure they aren’t forced out. She pledged her support for the artists, and said, ironically, that on Tuesday the city will announce a significant philanthropic grant to address recent displacement of Oakland artists, an event scheduled before Friday’s horrific fire. 
 
 “The issue of creating safe, vibrant spaces for Oakland’s artist community is a priority not just of me as mayor but of this community,” Schaaf said. “This is work that’s been going on for a long time and we’re going to stay focused on accomplishing that in a way that makes sense both for Oakland and also for all the different stakeholders involved.” 
 
 Sarriugarte, 53, an artist, blacksmith and longtime part of Oakland’s vibrant arts community as well as the Burning Man crowd, wants to make sure artists using warehouses are not painted with a broad brush. 
 
 “It’s a new generation of warehouse dwelling that’s different than what we did when we were younger,” Sarriugarte said. “We were a more independent group and we used very large spaces with very few people. Now you see more communal living, not a very big space with a lot of people in it. 
 
 “But if we start sending in all the city agencies going after each space, it will be the demise of underground spaces, which have been a very important incubator for all the beautiful stuff that happens here,” he said. 
 
 In Oakland, there’s a range of communities using converted warehouses, groups that often overlap. Some are organized, permitted artist collectives engaging in legal warehouse use for work spaces, gallery shows and events. At Vulcan, an East Oakland warehouse with just under 60 units, fire sprinklers were installed earlier this year and fire paths are clearly marked, said resident Darin Marshall, 47. 
 
 Then there are the so-called DIY collectives – the underground arts scene, often operating in illegal live/work situations like Ghost Ship. And there’s also the underground music scene, holding parties and electronic music shows in some of these spaces that are not permitted or up to code. 
 
 “In 2010, 2012, there were a lot more underground performance spaces and venues,” said Marshall Brooks, 31, a West Oakland resident and party thrower. “It used to be we could do it in places where it’s not so dangerous. We didn’t have to use places where red flags abound. But now everybody gets kicked out of warehouses and they turn them into condos.” 
 
 Already, some in the “Burning Man hierarchy” are talking about how to facilitate improvements to some of the illegal warehouse set-ups without getting the city involved, Sarriugarte said. 
 
 To this end, Michael Snook, founder of the NIMBY collective in East Oakland, reached out to artists on Facebook Sunday. NIMBY started in a West Oakland warehouse in 2004 and was forced to move after an untended candle sparked a smoky fire in 2008 and inspectors shut it down for lack of permits and sprinklers. The city helped the group relocate to a new space in East Oakland, but it took months and a $30,000 permitting nightmare before they could rest easy. 
 
 “If anyone lives in a live work space and would like it inspected without worry of all hell breaking loose, contact me,” Snook wrote on Facebook. “I can hook you up with a private professional that knows all the rules but doesn’t work for the city of Oakland. There is a fee and all I ask is you do what he says. Please.”
– The blaze that ripped through a converted warehouse in Oakland, Calif., during a party on Friday has now been confirmed as America's deadliest fire in more than a decade—and authorities say more than half the wreckage of the "Ghost Ship" warehouse hasn't been searched yet. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf announced Sunday that a criminal investigation team is now looking into the disaster, ABC7 reports. The AP reports that the warehouse, which wasn't licensed for residential or entertainment use, was already being investigated for alleged code violations. In other developments: Those confirmed dead include many young artists and musicians, with the youngest victims aged 17 and the oldest in their 30s, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. In a tragic coincidence, one victim is the son of a deputy for the Alameda County Sheriff's Office, which has been tasked with removing bodies from the scene. The San Jose Mercury News reports that Derick Ion Almena, the man who created the "Ghost Ship" artists' collective—and allegedly ignored warnings about fire safety—is being called "selfish and careless" in the wake of the disaster. He caused outrage after the fire when he failed to mention the victims in a Facebook post, lamenting instead that "everything I worked so hard for is gone." Almena lived in the warehouse with his wife and children, but they were not present during the fire. Visitors and former residents describe the warehouse as a "cluttered deathtrap" that had been carved into many artists' studios, with only a rickety staircase made partly of pallets connecting the second floor, where many died, with the first floor, the AP reports. Associates say Almena leased the warehouse and rented out RVs and other spaces to artists. Events like Friday's party were held to help raise rent money. Oakland Fire Battalion Chief Melinda Drayton warns that the search and recovery process could take a long time, CNN reports. Firefighters are removing debris "literally bucket by bucket in a methodical, thoughtful, mindful, and compassionate way," she said Sunday. The fire was among the deadliest building fires in the US in the last 50 years, reports NBC News, which lists the worst 10 from that period. The Oakland fire is the seventh on a list that includes 9/11 and the Oklahoma City bombing. Another Mercury News story looks at how rising rents elsewhere created a thriving artistic community in Oakland's warehouses, which could now be forced out. "The city's gonna paint us as some ugly, crusty, punk kids that are up to no good," says Katelyn Charvoz, 25. "If they buy up all the warehouses on every street and kick everyone out, it will just hurt the arts community here." Survivor Chris Nechodom tells the San Francisco Chronicle that there were scenes of horror and panic as the fire spread from the back of the warehouse and started "swooping down" from the ceiling. "We all start shuffling to the front—we're getting low. We get to the front and there's a few people yelling and screaming, so I start helping, yelling and screaming like, 'This is where the front entrance is! Follow our boys—come here, come here!'" he says. Nechodom says that before long, smoke forced him out of the building. Within minutes, he says, a "big bellow of black smoke kind of came out of every window and it blew out of the door." Few survivors emerged after that, he says. The AP reports that teams including the Oakland Raiders, the Oakland A's, and the Golden State Warriors are donating money to help families affected by the disaster. "We're all with you out there. We're all devastated today," Golden State head coach Steve Kerr said before the team hosted the Phoenix Suns on Saturday.