At least 9 dead in California warehouse rave fire

At least nine people were killed and 25 more are missing after a massive fire broke out in a warehouse hosting a dance party Friday night in Oakland, California. The fire started around 11:30 p.m. and may be the deadliest blaze in city history. Crowded with a "maze" of artists' workspaces and illegal dwellings, the building had no sprinkler system and smoke detectors did not activate, firefighters said. "It was too hot, too much smoke, I had to get out of there," said Bob Mule, a photographer who escaped the fire with minor burns. "I literally felt my skin peeling and my lungs being suffocated by smoke. I couldn't get the fire extinguisher to work." Authorities say as many as 40 people may be dead, and investigation is slow going thanks to structural instabilities in the warehouse.

Source: East Bay Times, Reuters