A 25-year-old Coronado man was among at least 36 people killed in a massive three-alarm fire that broke out during a party late Friday at a converted warehouse in Oakland.
Nick Gomez-Hall of Coronado was one of seven victims publicly identified by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office Coroner's Bureau Sunday.
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He made a warm impression on friends and colleagues in California and Rhode Island as a musician, mentor and community advocate who most recently worked for an independent publisher.
Berkeley, California-based publisher Counterpoint Press said Monday it was devastated by the loss of an "extraordinary co-worker and a true friend."
"Whether he was recommending new music to listen to (and it was always so good), regaling us with tales of the bowling alley, offering his beloved truck for a ride if anyone needed it or sharing his much-appreciated opinions about a jacket or manuscript, he made everyone feel like they were his friend," the company wrote in a social media post. "He was kind, considerate, hilarious."
Gomez-Hall was a 2013 graduate of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he concentrated in American Studies. The university on Monday said he "played an integral role" in the school's Swearer Center for Public Service. He volunteered to teach at an elementary school while an undergraduate and later helped run an after-school program.
He also became well-known in Providence's music scene for playing guitar and singing in the two-man band Nightmom.
Gomez-Hall recently moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. He graduated from Coronado High School.
Fire crews resumed search and recovery operations Tuesday morning.
Oakland Fire Battalion Chief Robert Lipp said Tuesday that crews have cleared 85 percent of the "Ghost Ship" building with one corner still inaccessible because it is unstable. Crews hope to stabilize it Tuesday.
Alameda County Sheriff Gregory Ahern told The Associated Press Monday that he didn't believe there would be additional bodies found.
Officials said they would turn next to investigating the fire, which erupted late Friday during a dance party. It's unclear how it started. The district attorney warned of possible murder charges as she determines whether there were any crimes linked to the blaze.
"We owe it to the community and those who perished in this fire, and those who survived the fire to be methodical, to be thorough, and to take the amount of time it takes to be able to look at every piece of potential evidence," Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O'Malley said.
Alameda County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly said that some of the victims texted relatives, "I'm going to die," and "I love you."
Rescue crews found bodies of people "protecting each other, holding each other," Kelly said.
On Monday night, hundreds of people holding candles and flowers honored those who died in the fire at a vigil at Oakland's Lake Merritt.
Those in the crowd embraced each other or held up candles as they said aloud the names of people they lost in the blaze.
Several people in the crowd held signs offering "free hugs."
The cluttered warehouse had been converted to artists' studios and illegal living spaces, and former denizens said it was a death trap of piled wood, furniture, snaking electrical cords and only two exits.
Oakland city councilman Noel Gallo, who lives a block from the warehouse, said he confronted the property's manager — Derick Ion Almena — several times about neighbors' concerns about trash in the street and in front of the warehouse. Gallo said Almena essentially told authorities to "mind their own business" and appeared resistant to addressing complaints and complying with city codes.
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said city officials are putting together a record of what they knew about the property.
Authorities have identified 22 victims and notified their families, city officials said. An additional 11 victims have been tentatively identified, and three victims need "scientific identification," they said.
Most of the victims' names, including the name of a 17-year-old, were not released.
Investigators said they believe they have located the section of the building where the fire started, but the cause remains unknown.
