A new, 50-page "Origin and Cause" report by the Oakland Fire Department has been released for the Ghost Ship disaster, though the report concludes, as the earlier investigation by the ATF did, that the exact igniting cause of the blaze can not be determined. The report — which was delayed until after criminal charges were brought by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office against two tenants in the space, Derick Almena and Max Harris — details the aftermath of the fire, accounts from witnesses, and where all 36 bodies were found within the charred structure. As the Chronicle reports, it's the first time the public is learning details about parts of the building, like pieces of the second-story flooring, that were found untouched by flame.

Also, as ABC 7 shows us, the report includes before-and-after photos of various parts of the labyrinthine inner spaces, including the infamous stairwell.

Weirdly, firefighters arriving at the scene say that no one who was gathered outside the burning building "seemed overly excited or distraught," according to the report.

Only seven victims were eventually found in what remained of the second floor of the building, while the other 29 were either found on the ground level, among debris, or wrapped in rugs that had fallen down from the parts of the second floor that collapsed in the fire.

Per the report, "In the space between the two motorhomes [parked on the first floor] a large area rug was suspended among partially collapsed debris from the second floor. Eight victims were recovered from within this rug and next to it."

All 36 victims, as we've learned before, died of smoke inhalation.

From the report's description of what the first firefighters in the building witnessed, after calling into the building and receiving no response from anyone inside.

Upon entering down low on the ground through the man-door, they encountered flames and sprayed a narrow stream of water upward. They noted when the water droplets descended, they weren’t too hot. Smoke was at about face level as they crawled in on their hands and knees. They saw a glow behind, and to the right of, a large statue located just in front of the man-door.

They got to what they described as a wall in front of them, then made a left turn, encountering a hallway on their right lined by pianos. There was thick smoke down the hallway and they could see flames in front of them to the right, behind what they made out to be a piano. This was past the front stairs along the east wall.

They were flowing water intermittently. They felt they were knocking down the flames,
but not the seat of the fire because the ceiling kept igniting. The fire was also getting behind them [meaning it was getting up and over them heading toward the front of the building].

Shortly thereafter, an evacuation order was given by the Fire Chief.

The report concludes, as to cause, that while an electrical cause can not be ruled out — and Harris apparently told investigators that a fuse had blown in the next door auto body shop, from which they siphoned their power, just in the previous few days — other causes such as candles or cigarettes also couldn't be ruled out because so much of the evidence had been incinerated. Harris, in his role as "creative director" and manager at the property, told investigators that he did not allow "smoking, candles, incense or space heaters."

Also, no witness has ever come forward who may have witnessed the original sparks or earliest stage of the fire, which was said to have come from the northeast corner of the building. Resident Carmen Brito told investigators she saw the first flames coming from an area where a refrigerator had recently been installed "against the wishes of many of the tenants, due to the many electrical problems in the building." She also said there had been two power outages since the addition of the refrigerator.

Bob Mulé, one of the building's residents who was working the door that night, gave an account of first smelling smoke. "He stated while he was at the front door he believed he had let in at least 40 to 50 people. He stated he was notified about smoke at about 11:35 PM. He stated he smelled smoke near a light outlet with an adapter connected to the lamp. No fire was detected. He stated he and [Ferin] (Aaron Marin) began disconnecting plugged in appliances from electrical outlets. He stated due to previous electrical issues, like power outages, they began to disconnect things that were energized in that area. He stated they began to look for the source of the smoke. He stated in the left rear corner (northwest) of the structure, he saw flames. He started yelling for people to get out of the building."

ghost-ship-before-1.jpg

ghost-ship-after-1.jpg
After. Photo: Oakland Fire Department


Related: Derick Almena Said To Be Having Mental Breakdown In Jail; Wife Speaks Out

Before. Photo: Oakland Fire Department