It’s been six months since the devastating fire at a converted warehouse known as 'Ghost Ship' that saw 36 people killed during an illegal music event.
The 50-page report released on June 19 by the Oakland Fire Department describes survivors' eyewitness accounts from the night of December 2, 2016. It concluded the cause of the fire as "undetermined."
The blaze caused an estimated $1,235,000 (USD) worth of damages, and according to the report started on the first floor, as party-goers attended a rave on the second floor.
The power went out and panic set in
Ten new eyewitness statements were included in the fire department's report. Many of these stories have never been heard and a number of them came from people who lived inside the warehouse.
According to eyewitness and survivor Aaron Marin, he saw flames coming from near the DJ turntable and noticed they were coming from under the floor.
He tried to use a water bottle to put it out.
He says when people realised there was a fire they started to run towards the staircase but had to return when they realised that was where the fire was coming from.
Marin was able to flee the building by escaping through the kitchen window.
He said in the report, that due to his familiarity with the building - having lived there for the previous two weeks - he knew the kitchen had a window.
He yelled: “Kitchen! Kitchen!” but at that point the lights had gone out, he said, and it became hard to breathe.
An image taken from the Okland Fire Department's report of the destruction inside the warehouse following the December 2, 2016 fire. Source: Okland Fire Department
Marin said he dropped to the ground, falling only one floor, and placed a ladder next to the building in the hope that others saw him escaping and would follow.
No one else came through the window.
One of the more graphic stories from the report was of the three victims who were found on top of a motor home parked inside the warehouse.
The group were wrapped in a large rug after the second floor collapsed underneath them.
Firefighters found a different group also huddled together under a blanket, another victim was found within reach of the front door.
The report states the cause of death for all 36 victims as smoke inhalation, according to Dr Thomas Rogers from the Alameda County (ALCO) Coroners.
The ‘Ghost Ship Warehouse’ is located in the suburb of Fruitvale in California.
Many victims ran to a nearby fire station and the report details how fire fighters could hear "loud knocking" as they were gearing up to respond to the warehouse call out.
The Ghost Ship Warehouse after a fire swept through the California building. Source: AAP
No housing or entertainment permit
The warehouse was being lived in despite not having the permits for housing or entertainment.
Many former residents have come forward, after the fire, saying the building was unsafe to live in and they experienced many power faults.
The report also found the warehouse had no sprinklers installed and lacked smoke detectors.
Most of the roof and second floor collapsed into the area believed to be where the fire started, according to the report.
Forty-seven-year-old, Derrick Ion Almena, and 27- year-old Max Harris were both charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Almena had rented out the warehouse as an art collective and communal residence, while Harris is believed to be the creative director of the art space.
Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley said the two will face the consequences of their actions.
“Defendants Almena and Harris knowingly created a fire trap with inadequate means of escape, then filled that area with human beings,” she said.
It’s believed Harris blocked off a set of second stairs during the preparations for the rave.
The two men are each being held on bail of nearly $1.1 million (USD).
They could face up to 39 years in prison if convicted of all the counts.
-With AP
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