The two-story warehouse engulfed by a deadly Oakland fire at a Friday night dance party was typical of the collective spaces artists and musicians say they have increasingly looked for to cope with rising rents.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and a city building official told a news conference the building was most recently zoned as a warehouse. It was not approved as living space and had no concert permit.
The fire killed at least nine people and left about two dozen missing, raising fears the death toll would rise.