33 bodies recovered in Oakland warehouse fire

Searchers have recovered 33 bodies -- some of them teens 17 years old or possibly younger -- from a fire-ravaged warehouse in Oakland, California, that housed artist studios and was hosting a dance party when the deadly blaze broke out, officials said today. Sgt. Ray Kelly of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office warned that he anticipates that "the number of victims will rise" from a fire officials say may be the deadliest ever in Oakland. The search effort is expected to last for days, he said. Kelly called the number of deaths "astronomical."

Names of six of the eight victims identified by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office Coroner’s Bureau were released this evening and authorities are asking families with missing loved ones to preserve DNA samples as a way of confirming the identities of those who died in the horrific blaze. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf told ABC News that she has ordered an investigation into the building's troubled history, including a complete review of all records of complaints. Libby also told ABC that she ordered an independent analysis into the city’s handling of this building and others like it.
Fire Department Battalion Chief Melinda Drayton told ABC News that firefighters have been impacted emotionally by bodies found. She described the precarious scene firefighters have encountered inside of what is left of the warehouse, where the second floor is hanging just above the heads of search crews, with pianos, appliances and other materials dangling from above. Preliminary indications suggest the blaze was not caused by arson, but rather an electrical fire. The power went out inside the building when the fire began and the flames blocked the building's only exit, making it difficult for people inside to escape, an official briefed on the ongoing investigation told ABC News.

The Oakland Fire Department confirmed to the press that they are currently working with a variety of agencies in the aftermath of the tragedy, including the Alameda County Sheriff's Department, the Oakland Police Department, the Alameda County Search and Rescue, and the American Red Cross, among others.

Source: ABCNews