Area near Oakland's deadly Ghost Ship fire reopens
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Nine days after a fire at the Ghost Ship warehouse killed 36 people and destroyed the building in Oakland, 31st Avenue is reopening.
PHOTOS: 36 victims of Oakland warehouse fire identified
The street has been shut down for more than a week since this tragic fire. On Sunday, Oakland police began removing traffic barriers to re-open this block.
There was a sizable group of onlookers as officers started moving those barriers. They asked the crowd to help them move the flowers, candles and other items that had collected in front of the warehouse.
Federal Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agents left the warehouse after they finished up their work Sunday.
The Ghost Ship building has been encircled by a temporary fence, so it's off limits. It has also been red tagged to warn people that it's structurally unsafe.
The parents of one of the victims actually helped moved some of the flowers when the traffic barriers were removed. They live in Washington state and wanted to see this place before returning home. "We've discovered a whole community of people that loved Joey and he loved. A community we didn't even know existed until now," Joey's Kathe Matlock said.
Derik Ion Almena, the primary tenant of the building was also there. He was with a group of people who went into the Ghost Ship before police opened up the street.
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