The building on 1305 Avenue was in deep need of repair. The building’s owner got the second complaint in the last two years about the dangerous trash and various debris around the building.

During this tragic event, said to be one of Oakland’s most devastating fires in recent memory, 30 people were killed. The death toll has been expected to rise as investigators sift through the rest of the studio. The fire arose during an electronic dance party. As the fire spread people jumped out the windows to try and escape.

Many people claimed to have known the ghost ship wasn’t up to code but needed an affordable art space and many people search for refuge in the warehouses during housing shortages. Derick Ion Almena was known to help pay rent on the warehouse. “People are desperate for places,” she said. “It’s one of those things where you don’t want to report something you see because you know how hard it is for people to find spaces.”

This event has brought great tragedy to the victims’ families and friends of people who were in the warehouse that night.