Oakland Fire claims 36 lives, including members of our queer family

At least 36 people are confirmed dead after a blaze broke out during a party in a converted warehouse known as the Ghost Ship late Friday night in the San Francisco Bay Area, according to fire officials.

In one of the deadliest structure fires in the United States in the past decade, partygoers at the two-story converted warehouse were asphyxiated on Friday night by thick black fumes, which poured from the building’s windows for several hours. Survivors stood across the street in a Wendy’s parking lot, watching firefighters try to put out the blaze and rescue those inside.

Thirty-six bodies have been recovered, but officials halted recovery operations just after midnight when a crew that was surveying the destruction from a neighboring rooftop noticed that the front wall was leaning 3 inches toward the center of the building, Drayton said. Most of the bodies have been recovered in the center of the building.

Numerous queer, trans, and gender non-conforming people are believed to have been in attendance. 

Authorities said about 50 people were inside the building, and according to Alameda County Sheriffs Office Sergeant J.D. Nelson, the coroner’s office is preparing for at least 40 bodies.

Early reports say that the warehouse building, known as the Ghost Ship, filled with art installations and ad-hoc construction, was unsuited for public events. Despite a lack of permits for residential occupancy, some familiar with the location described it as a live/work space with no working sprinklers or smoke detectors and a makeshift staircase to a second floor that trapped fans upstairs once the fire broke out.

For all the Denverites who want to support the victim’s families, the Gray Area Foundation for the Arts launched an YouCaring fund that has raised more than $232,000 over the weekend. Also, on December 17, Rhinocerpolis is hosting a benefit show to raise money for the YouCaring fund, where the community can come together and grieve while giving back.

As the death toll continues to rise, here is a list of victims identified so far.

Chelsea Faith Dolan
Barrett Clark
Peter wadsworth
Nicholas Walrath
Feral Pines aka J. Fritz
Ara Christina Jo
Ben Runnels
Jennifer Kiyomi Tanouye
Cash Askew
Alex Ghassan
Hanna Ruax
Jonathan Bernbaum
David T Cline
Johan Handel
Alana Kane
Micah Danemayer
Jason MCarty
Johnny Igaz
Chase aka Nex Iguolo
Griffin Madden
Amanda Kershaw
Denalda Nicole Renae aka Nicole Siegrist
Travis Hough
Joey Casio
William Dixon
Wolfgang Renner
Michelle Sylvan
Em B