A faulty refrigerator has been ruled out as the cause of the Oakland, California, warehouse fire on Dec. 2, officials with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms announced today.
"The electrical engineers have conclusively ruled out the refrigerator as a source of ignition," officials said at a news conference this afternoon. "The refrigerator was in the area of origin, but is not the cause of the fire." Thirty-six people perished in the blaze that ignited during a party at the warehouse last Friday.
The cause remains under investigation.
Ghost Ship Warehouse Had Makeshift Stairwell and No Evidence of Smoke Detectors, Officials Say Some Victims of the Oakland Warehouse Fire Texted Family Members Before DyingThe warehouse fire is the most lethal building fire in the country in over a decade, according to The Associated Press.
Some of those trapped upstairs at the party had just enough time to send final text messages to loved ones, according to Alameda County Sheriff's Office spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly. Some of these messages read "I'm going to die" and "I love you," Kelly said.