The city of Oakland, California, on Saturday agreed to pay $32.7 million to victims of the 2016 Ghost Ship warehouse fire.
On December 2, 2016, a party was being held on the second floor of a warehouse in Oakland. The warehouse housed an artist collective known as Ghost Ship, and served as a refuge for local artists and a community space, especially for transgender individuals. During the party the building burned in a fire that would be remembered as one of the worst structure fires in recent US history, killing 32 individuals.
Witnesses stated that there were no smoke alarms or sprinklers in the building. Additionally, Mary Alexander, a lawyer representing 13 of the victims, said that the city “did nothing,” despite there being a fire station nearby, and the police being called to investigate a noise complaint.
Now, Oakland will pay $32.7 million to settle the case. The city maintains that it was “not liable” for what occurred, but only settled “because of the cost-benefit analysis.” Sam Maxwell, who survived the incident with severe lifelong injuries, will receive $9.2 million.
The owners of the building also faced charges for the incident. Derick Almena, the primary leaseholder, and Max Harris, an assistant in operating the warehouse, were each charged with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter. Harris has been acquitted, but a jury has not been able to reach a verdict for Almena.
The cause of the fire remains a mystery, and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office, which prosecuted the case, predicted that the cause will never be discovered.
