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December 13, 2016 | The Valley Catholic
A couple attends a Dec. 5 vigil for the victims of the fatal warehouse fire in Oakland, Calif. In
response to the Dec. 2 fire, Bishop Michael J. Barber of Oakland said in a statement that his
"prayers and thoughts are with all those who have died or are suffering from the tragic fire."
(CNS photo/Lucy Nicholson, Reuters)
Oakland Bishop Prays for Victims,
First Responders in Warehouse Fire
OAKLAND, Calif. (CNS) – In response to the Dec. 2 fire that erupted in an
Oakland warehouse, Bishop Michael J. Barber of Oakland said in a statement
that his “prayers and thoughts are with all those who have died or are suffering
from the tragic fire. We also pray for the first responders, medical personnel and
others who are aiding the victims and their loved ones. We will be remembering
the deceased in our Masses this weekend throughout the Diocese of Oakland,”
he said in a Dec. 3 statement. As of Dec. 6, the death toll was 36 and officials said
that no additional bodies have been recovered. The fire started during a dance
party at a warehouse that had been converted to artists’ studios and illegal living
spaces, dubbed the “Ghost Ship.” The cause of the fire, reported to be the most
lethal building fire in the U.S. in more than a decade, has not been determined.
“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,” said Alameda
County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley, according to The Associated Press.