A fire broke out Friday night, December 2, during a party at a two-story warehouse and artists’ studio in Oakland, California. Initial reports indicate dozens of people were in the building when the deadly blaze started, the Oakland fire chief says.

The death toll from the Oakland, California, warehouse fire has now climbed to 36 as authorities continue to discover bodies — some of them of teens possibly younger than 17 — after a blaze broke out during a dance party in a building that housed artist studios.

Only a fraction of the charred remains of the partly collapsed structure had been searched, and crews clearing debris were expected to find more bodies as they advanced, Alameda County sheriff’s Sgt. Ray Kelly said.

The building had permits for use only as a warehouse, not as a living or entertainment space, and there was no evidence the structure had fire sprinklers, officials said. Known as the Oakland Ghost Ship, the complex was under investigation by city officials for allegedly unpermitted construction and blight.

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