At least 33 dead following Oakland warehouse party fire

Oakland fire

Fire broke out in an Oakland artist’s collective space which was hosting a party featuring several members of the 100% Silk family

On Friday 2 December at around 11:30 PM a fire broke out in a warehouse space known as The Ghostship, in the Fruitvale district of Oakland, Calfornia. The ensuing blaze resulted in the deaths of many attendees who had gathered to enjoy a party featuring, among others, members of the 100% Silk label family. At time of writing the estimated death toll stands at 33 with the full extent of harm caused by the fire not yet known as emergency services continue to search the venue and investigate the cause of the fire.

Cash Askew, a member of the popular dream-pop band Them Are Us Too, is one of the people confirmed to have died in the fire. Her label, Dais Records, issued the following statement “Cash Askew was an absolutely loved and treasured member of the Dais Records family.” Adding, “We were in awe of her talent, her gentle kindness, and her creative momentum… her passing is an excruciating loss that we may never fully process or recover from.”

Oakland label K Records have set up a fundraiser for the victims of the fire calling the event “a massive tragedy for the Bay Area Arts community.” At present the campaign has raised close to $200,000 with hopes to reach a total of $250,000.