ghost ship fire

Friend of Ghost Ship warehouse fire victims believes building owner should also face charges

Byby Melanie Woodrow KGO logo

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Friend of Ghost Ship fire victims believes owner should also face charges

A friend of some of the victims who died in Oakland's Ghost Ship warehouse fire last December says the building owner should also face charges.

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Friends of victims who died in the Ghost Ship warehouse fire said criminal charges are a step towards justice.

The Alameda County District Attorney's Office is charging Derick Almena with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter. "It's good he deserves it. He knew the risks of what was going to happen," said Osby who lost four of his friends in the fire. "Igaz, Chelsea, Mandy and Travis, they were all love and inspiration."

Creative Director Max Harris is also facing charges.

Six months after the Ghost Ship warehouse fire, Osby said his memories of 36 brilliant lives lost are still fresh. "It still hurts, you know it still hurts a lot," he said.

Osby said he's been in the underground scene for a while and that even underground party promoters have an unwritten rule they follow. "The number one rule of throwing an underground is just you know safety first, that's always safety first," Osby said.

It's a rule he said was not followed at the Ghost Ship warehouse. "That was the worst example of warehouse living for artists, really bad example," Osby said.

Osby said he believes the building's owner should also face charges. "To have 20 trailers parked in the basement, to have daisy chained electricity all throughout the building, to have all the electricity wires in one room, you know which is a fire hazard, he had to know this, he had to know this," Osby said.

The Alameda Distict Attorney would not comment on any possible charges, including against the owner.

PHOTOS: A look inside the Oakland Ghost Ship collective warehouse