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| Oakland Fire Victims Included Performers, Educators and Lawyers | Oakland Fire Victims Included Performers, Educators and Lawyers |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| They were musicians, poets, educators and baristas. Thirty-six people were killed in a fire at an electronic dance party at a warehouse in Oakland, Calif., last weekend, and the coroner’s bureau in Alameda County is releasing their names. It was one of the worst structure fires in the United States in over a decade. | They were musicians, poets, educators and baristas. Thirty-six people were killed in a fire at an electronic dance party at a warehouse in Oakland, Calif., last weekend, and the coroner’s bureau in Alameda County is releasing their names. It was one of the worst structure fires in the United States in over a decade. |
| Amanda Allen Kershaw, 34, San Francisco | Amanda Allen Kershaw, 34, San Francisco |
| Early on Dec. 3, Lea Romingquet and her friends were camping in the Santa Cruz mountains when they received a message that stunned them: A fire had raged through the Ghost Ship warehouse the night before. | Early on Dec. 3, Lea Romingquet and her friends were camping in the Santa Cruz mountains when they received a message that stunned them: A fire had raged through the Ghost Ship warehouse the night before. |
| Ms. Romingquet knew Ms. Kershaw, one of her closest friends, had been there that night and had planned to join the group in the mountains. But it was not to be. | Ms. Romingquet knew Ms. Kershaw, one of her closest friends, had been there that night and had planned to join the group in the mountains. But it was not to be. |
| “She really was the best of humans,” Ms. Romingquet said in a telephone interview, reflecting on her friendship with Ms. Kershaw, whom she had first met on a dance floor in 2009. | “She really was the best of humans,” Ms. Romingquet said in a telephone interview, reflecting on her friendship with Ms. Kershaw, whom she had first met on a dance floor in 2009. |
| Ms. Kershaw, a photographer, grew up in Chelmsford, Mass., and moved to San Francisco with her husband, Andy Kershaw, in 2008, The Lowell Sun reported. She worked at the Trust for Conservation Innovation, which said she had left behind a “devastated work family.” | Ms. Kershaw, a photographer, grew up in Chelmsford, Mass., and moved to San Francisco with her husband, Andy Kershaw, in 2008, The Lowell Sun reported. She worked at the Trust for Conservation Innovation, which said she had left behind a “devastated work family.” |
| “Family” was a word that Ms. Romingquet used, too. Ms. Kershaw’s death, she said, “has really dialed in how important chosen family is.” | “Family” was a word that Ms. Romingquet used, too. Ms. Kershaw’s death, she said, “has really dialed in how important chosen family is.” |
| Wolfgang Renner, 61, Oakland | Wolfgang Renner, 61, Oakland |
| Mr. Renner, who was originally from Germany, was a fixture in the underground electronic music scene for decades, according to The East Bay Times. | |
| “Wolfgang was about as free of an individual as anyone is likely to ever meet,” said a friend, Robert Janca, on Facebook. “When we were close, it was a joy to go and visit him, as he was a capable host who made all of his friends feel welcome and celebrated.” | “Wolfgang was about as free of an individual as anyone is likely to ever meet,” said a friend, Robert Janca, on Facebook. “When we were close, it was a joy to go and visit him, as he was a capable host who made all of his friends feel welcome and celebrated.” |
| Nicholas D. Walrath, 31, Oakland | Nicholas D. Walrath, 31, Oakland |
| When the fire started at the Ghost Ship, Mr. Walrath texted his girlfriend, Alexis Abrams-Bourke, to say that he loved her, she told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. | When the fire started at the Ghost Ship, Mr. Walrath texted his girlfriend, Alexis Abrams-Bourke, to say that he loved her, she told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. |
| His goal in life was to care for other people, and that was what inspired him to be a lawyer, she added. “He could really step outside of himself and care and listen to other people and feel their struggles, and want to help,” she said. | His goal in life was to care for other people, and that was what inspired him to be a lawyer, she added. “He could really step outside of himself and care and listen to other people and feel their struggles, and want to help,” she said. |
| His mother, Deborah D. Walrath, said in a telephone interview, “Above all, he was kind to every person he came into contact with.” | His mother, Deborah D. Walrath, said in a telephone interview, “Above all, he was kind to every person he came into contact with.” |
| Mr. Walrath, who grew up in Pittsburgh, took a roundabout career path. He studied physics and philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and then went on to pursue a graduate degree in atomic physics. | Mr. Walrath, who grew up in Pittsburgh, took a roundabout career path. He studied physics and philosophy at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and then went on to pursue a graduate degree in atomic physics. |
| But then he chose law over the laboratory, and graduated from New York University’s law school in 2013. “He was committed to social justice,” his mother told The San Francisco Chronicle. Durie Tangri LLP, the San Francisco law firm where Mr. Walrath last worked, said in a statement: “In the short time he had been at our firm, Nick already had shown himself to be a fine lawyer as well as a good and caring person.” | |
| Johnny Igaz, 34, Oakland | Johnny Igaz, 34, Oakland |
| Kevin Hunsanger, an owner of Green Apple Books in San Francisco, was unnerved recently when one of his staff members, an experienced music buyer, announced he was leaving. But the employee suggested a replacement, saying, “I have got the right guy.” | Kevin Hunsanger, an owner of Green Apple Books in San Francisco, was unnerved recently when one of his staff members, an experienced music buyer, announced he was leaving. But the employee suggested a replacement, saying, “I have got the right guy.” |
| That “guy” was Johnny Igaz, Mr. Hunsanger said. | That “guy” was Johnny Igaz, Mr. Hunsanger said. |
| “In all these years of training staff members, he was as close to a plug-and-play employee that I have ever had,” Mr. Hunsanger said in a telephone interview. “It was a driving passion in Johnny’s life. He was really tied into the community of record collectors.” | “In all these years of training staff members, he was as close to a plug-and-play employee that I have ever had,” Mr. Hunsanger said in a telephone interview. “It was a driving passion in Johnny’s life. He was really tied into the community of record collectors.” |
| Mr. Hunsanger is a self-described music nerd who said he has a record collection of 2,500 items. But Mr. Igaz, in the months he spent in the store as its buyer of CD’s and records, introduced Mr. Hunsanger to the work of an artist he did not know — Betty Davis, the wife of Miles Davis — who recorded funk albums in the 1960s and ‘70s. | Mr. Hunsanger is a self-described music nerd who said he has a record collection of 2,500 items. But Mr. Igaz, in the months he spent in the store as its buyer of CD’s and records, introduced Mr. Hunsanger to the work of an artist he did not know — Betty Davis, the wife of Miles Davis — who recorded funk albums in the 1960s and ‘70s. |
| “He had encyclopedic knowledge of all types of music and genres,” Mr. Hunsanger said. | “He had encyclopedic knowledge of all types of music and genres,” Mr. Hunsanger said. |
| Mr. Igaz was working as a D.J. at the Ghost Ship on the night of the fire, which has gutted the community of musicians and artists in the Bay Area, Mr. Hunsanger said: “Everybody knows someone who perished.” | Mr. Igaz was working as a D.J. at the Ghost Ship on the night of the fire, which has gutted the community of musicians and artists in the Bay Area, Mr. Hunsanger said: “Everybody knows someone who perished.” |
| Griffin Madden, 23, Berkeley, Calif. | |
| The staff at Cal Performances, the performing arts presenter and producer at the University of California, Berkeley, had planned this year’s holiday party long before the devastating fire that claimed so many lives. | |
| So on Tuesday, the party was transformed into a remembrance of the life of one of their own, a “beloved” member of the staff, Griffin Madden. He had started out as an usher at the theater when he was an 18-year-old freshman at Berkeley, the artistic director, Matías Tarnopolsky, said in an email. | So on Tuesday, the party was transformed into a remembrance of the life of one of their own, a “beloved” member of the staff, Griffin Madden. He had started out as an usher at the theater when he was an 18-year-old freshman at Berkeley, the artistic director, Matías Tarnopolsky, said in an email. |
| Mr. Madden graduated in 2015 with a double major in philosophy and Slavic languages and literature. He had recently been hired full time as an audience services associate with Cal Performances. | Mr. Madden graduated in 2015 with a double major in philosophy and Slavic languages and literature. He had recently been hired full time as an audience services associate with Cal Performances. |
| His girlfriend, Saya, and his father, Mike, attended the Cal Performances gathering, Mr. Tarnopolsky said. “Their extraordinary example of grace and optimism was truly inspiring to all of us who knew Griffin,” he said. “Our community is heartbroken at this news.” | His girlfriend, Saya, and his father, Mike, attended the Cal Performances gathering, Mr. Tarnopolsky said. “Their extraordinary example of grace and optimism was truly inspiring to all of us who knew Griffin,” he said. “Our community is heartbroken at this news.” |
| Hanna Ruax, 32, Helsinki, Finland | Hanna Ruax, 32, Helsinki, Finland |
| Ms. Ruax, a yoga instructor and jewelry designer from Finland, was the owner of a yoga and wellness center in Helsinki called Pihasali, which was founded by her mother, Kirsi Piha-Timonen, over 10 years ago, according to the company’s website. Ms. Ruax, whose fiancé, Alex Ghassan, was also killed in the fire, wrote on social media that she was inspired by how her father went from modest beginnings in a small village to become a successful businessman. | Ms. Ruax, a yoga instructor and jewelry designer from Finland, was the owner of a yoga and wellness center in Helsinki called Pihasali, which was founded by her mother, Kirsi Piha-Timonen, over 10 years ago, according to the company’s website. Ms. Ruax, whose fiancé, Alex Ghassan, was also killed in the fire, wrote on social media that she was inspired by how her father went from modest beginnings in a small village to become a successful businessman. |
| In some of the last photographs posted on her Facebook page, Ms. Ruax was cuddling and kissing Mr. Ghassan. In one of them, published on Nov. 22, she announced with an excited smile that she was on her way from Finland to California to see him. | In some of the last photographs posted on her Facebook page, Ms. Ruax was cuddling and kissing Mr. Ghassan. In one of them, published on Nov. 22, she announced with an excited smile that she was on her way from Finland to California to see him. |
| The next day, united in Oakland, the two made funny faces for the camera. “Home sweet home!” she wrote. | The next day, united in Oakland, the two made funny faces for the camera. “Home sweet home!” she wrote. |
| As a child, Ms. Ruax played piano and danced, and she loved to hike in Koli National Park in eastern Finland. At her yoga studio, she taught a “reggae yoga” signature class with a D.J., her friends and family in Finland said in an emailed statement in response to questions. | As a child, Ms. Ruax played piano and danced, and she loved to hike in Koli National Park in eastern Finland. At her yoga studio, she taught a “reggae yoga” signature class with a D.J., her friends and family in Finland said in an emailed statement in response to questions. |
| She met Mr. Ghassan at a music video shoot, and they were thinking of moving to Europe together, they said. On her Instagram account, Ms. Ruax had described her relationship with the world: “When your heart is open and you embrace the world everywhere with an open mind, there’s no difference in the end. The cultures are different, but the hearts are the same.” | She met Mr. Ghassan at a music video shoot, and they were thinking of moving to Europe together, they said. On her Instagram account, Ms. Ruax had described her relationship with the world: “When your heart is open and you embrace the world everywhere with an open mind, there’s no difference in the end. The cultures are different, but the hearts are the same.” |
| Vanessa Plotkin, 21, Lakewood, Calif. | Vanessa Plotkin, 21, Lakewood, Calif. |
| Ms. Plotkin was a student at the University of California, Berkeley. She was a junior majoring in sociology there, a spokeswoman for the university, Janet Gilmore, said in an emailed statement. She was also a volunteer at the campus radio station, KALX. She worked in the music department to help process the pieces that were to be played on air, said Sandra Wasson, the station manager, in a brief telephone interview. She added that co-workers have described Ms. Plotkin as “kind, fun, a hard worker and very inquisitive.” | |
| Em Bohlka, 33, Oakland | Em Bohlka, 33, Oakland |
| Ms. Bohlka, who grew up in Claremont, Calif., loved to write poetry, and enjoyed the outdoors and rock climbing. “We used to do a lot of camping and hiking trips together, and she was a voracious reader,’’ her father, Jack Bohlka, said in an interview. “She liked all sorts of literature, and we shared a love of Kurt Vonnegut.” | Ms. Bohlka, who grew up in Claremont, Calif., loved to write poetry, and enjoyed the outdoors and rock climbing. “We used to do a lot of camping and hiking trips together, and she was a voracious reader,’’ her father, Jack Bohlka, said in an interview. “She liked all sorts of literature, and we shared a love of Kurt Vonnegut.” |
| He said he and his daughter often exchanged quotes from Vonnegut and his works by text or email. “There is one where Vonnegut says that he much prefers to live life at the edge because you can see so much more from the edges than you can from the center,” he said. | He said he and his daughter often exchanged quotes from Vonnegut and his works by text or email. “There is one where Vonnegut says that he much prefers to live life at the edge because you can see so much more from the edges than you can from the center,” he said. |
| “Throughout her life she was always a friend to people on the fringes, the marginalized,” he said. “She always reached out to people with love and acceptance.” | “Throughout her life she was always a friend to people on the fringes, the marginalized,” he said. “She always reached out to people with love and acceptance.” |
| Ms. Bohlka was a transgender woman. Her father wrote on his Facebook page about how devastated he was to have lost his child in the fire. He noted that she had recently begun her transition to becoming a “beautiful, happy woman. She at last was living as she was meant to live. I only wish she had more time to fully enjoy her life.” | |
| She graduated from the University of California, Riverside, with an English degree and went on to get a Masters in English Literature at California State Polytechnic University in Pomona. She was getting ready to move to New York City, but had been working at High Wire coffee shop in Berkeley and had gone to the Ghost Ship that night with Donna Kellogg, who was also an employee at the coffee shop and who died in the fire. | |
| In the telephone interview, Mr. Bohlka noted that the Ghost Ship was considered a safe space for the transgender community. “I know there are far too few spaces for trans people to feel safe and free to express themselves,” Mr. Bohlka said in a statement. “Although the building itself was not physically safe, the community of beautiful people felt safe with each other.” | In the telephone interview, Mr. Bohlka noted that the Ghost Ship was considered a safe space for the transgender community. “I know there are far too few spaces for trans people to feel safe and free to express themselves,” Mr. Bohlka said in a statement. “Although the building itself was not physically safe, the community of beautiful people felt safe with each other.” |
| Benjamin Runnels, 32, Oakland | Benjamin Runnels, 32, Oakland |
| Mr. Runnels was a musician and vocalist who founded the electronic pop group Introflirt. Its musical genre was referred to as “croonwave.” He performed along with a fellow band member who played an electronic musical instrument called an omnichord. | Mr. Runnels was a musician and vocalist who founded the electronic pop group Introflirt. Its musical genre was referred to as “croonwave.” He performed along with a fellow band member who played an electronic musical instrument called an omnichord. |
| According to Introflirt’s website, Mr. Runnels, who also went by the stage names Ben Benjamin and Charlie Prowler, spent countless weekends in an Oakland piano bar, “honing his chops with midcentury jazz standards, realizing a vintage flair and rich vocal technique rarely heard in electronic music.” | According to Introflirt’s website, Mr. Runnels, who also went by the stage names Ben Benjamin and Charlie Prowler, spent countless weekends in an Oakland piano bar, “honing his chops with midcentury jazz standards, realizing a vintage flair and rich vocal technique rarely heard in electronic music.” |
| Mr. Runnels was a native of Mariaville, N.Y., but was lured to the Bay Area by the location’s vibrant music scene, family members said. He lived in Oakland for five years. | Mr. Runnels was a native of Mariaville, N.Y., but was lured to the Bay Area by the location’s vibrant music scene, family members said. He lived in Oakland for five years. |
| “He was one of those people who could pick up any instrument,” his sister, Erin Runnels, told The San Francisco Chronicle. “It would be really rare that a song, whether it was Glenn Miller or The Grateful Dead or some obscure European house music, would come on without him being able to tell you something about it.” | “He was one of those people who could pick up any instrument,” his sister, Erin Runnels, told The San Francisco Chronicle. “It would be really rare that a song, whether it was Glenn Miller or The Grateful Dead or some obscure European house music, would come on without him being able to tell you something about it.” |
| Alex Ghassan, 35, Oakland | Alex Ghassan, 35, Oakland |
| Mr. Ghassan planted a kiss on the cheek of his younger sister, Francesca, pulling her close with his right arm around her neck. The smile on her face, turned directly to the camera, could not have been broader. That was the image she posted on Facebook Tuesday morning under the words “RIP big brother.” | Mr. Ghassan planted a kiss on the cheek of his younger sister, Francesca, pulling her close with his right arm around her neck. The smile on her face, turned directly to the camera, could not have been broader. That was the image she posted on Facebook Tuesday morning under the words “RIP big brother.” |
| Mr. Ghassan, a director and producer, was the father of twin daughters, according to a biography on a fund-raising page set up by his mother, Emilie Grandchamps. He moved to Oakland from Jersey City, N.J., two years ago. “He was family man and loved spending quality and creative time with his daughters. His love and adoration for his mother was so warm and humbling,” it said. It said he was visiting the Ghost Ship warehouse to support other artists there that night. He died from smoke inhalation, the page said. | Mr. Ghassan, a director and producer, was the father of twin daughters, according to a biography on a fund-raising page set up by his mother, Emilie Grandchamps. He moved to Oakland from Jersey City, N.J., two years ago. “He was family man and loved spending quality and creative time with his daughters. His love and adoration for his mother was so warm and humbling,” it said. It said he was visiting the Ghost Ship warehouse to support other artists there that night. He died from smoke inhalation, the page said. |
| “I loved how he brought my words to life and how he made music films for all the artists he worked with,” a fellow artist, Hasan Salaam, was quoted as saying on the memorial fund-raising page. | “I loved how he brought my words to life and how he made music films for all the artists he worked with,” a fellow artist, Hasan Salaam, was quoted as saying on the memorial fund-raising page. |
| David Cline, 24, Oakland | David Cline, 24, Oakland |
| Friends described Mr. Cline, an alumnus of the University of California, Berkeley, as someone with a fun personality and a penchant for bear hugs. On Facebook, his former clarinet teacher posted an autobiography that Mr. Cline wrote before his senior recital, in which he called himself a “devoted volleyball player” and member of the All-State Band. | Friends described Mr. Cline, an alumnus of the University of California, Berkeley, as someone with a fun personality and a penchant for bear hugs. On Facebook, his former clarinet teacher posted an autobiography that Mr. Cline wrote before his senior recital, in which he called himself a “devoted volleyball player” and member of the All-State Band. |
| “This summer he looks forward to spending time at the beach, enjoying the sunshine with his friends and observing a variety of aquatic animals,” Mr. Cline wrote. | “This summer he looks forward to spending time at the beach, enjoying the sunshine with his friends and observing a variety of aquatic animals,” Mr. Cline wrote. |
| Mr. Cline recently graduated with a double major in cognitive science and computer science, and was a “ferociously brilliant student and impossibly bright mind,” his brother, Neil Cline, said in a statement. “To David, we love you,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday. “You will be with us always.” | Mr. Cline recently graduated with a double major in cognitive science and computer science, and was a “ferociously brilliant student and impossibly bright mind,” his brother, Neil Cline, said in a statement. “To David, we love you,” he wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday. “You will be with us always.” |
| Donna Kellogg, 32, Oakland | Donna Kellogg, 32, Oakland |
| Ms. Kellogg worked as a barista at Highwire Coffee Roasters in Berkeley, a person who answered the telephone there said on Monday. An article in The San Francisco Chronicle described her as a “freewheeling and free-spirited” person who loved cooking and played the drums. “She liked avant-garde music,” said her father, Hugh Slocum. A recent graduate of San Francisco State University, Ms. Kellogg was studying for a degree in culinary arts at Laney College in Oakland. | Ms. Kellogg worked as a barista at Highwire Coffee Roasters in Berkeley, a person who answered the telephone there said on Monday. An article in The San Francisco Chronicle described her as a “freewheeling and free-spirited” person who loved cooking and played the drums. “She liked avant-garde music,” said her father, Hugh Slocum. A recent graduate of San Francisco State University, Ms. Kellogg was studying for a degree in culinary arts at Laney College in Oakland. |
| Travis Hough, 35, Oakland | Travis Hough, 35, Oakland |
| Mr. Hough was an educator at two elementary schools, focusing on psychological counseling, according to Demetrio Gonzalez, the president of a local teachers union. He was an alumnus of California College of the Arts, according to a post on its Twitter account. He was also an art therapist and a musician. He and his band, Ghost of Lightning, played in November at Oakland. Secret, a performance and art space, Zoe Ceja, a founder of the site, said in an interview. | Mr. Hough was an educator at two elementary schools, focusing on psychological counseling, according to Demetrio Gonzalez, the president of a local teachers union. He was an alumnus of California College of the Arts, according to a post on its Twitter account. He was also an art therapist and a musician. He and his band, Ghost of Lightning, played in November at Oakland. Secret, a performance and art space, Zoe Ceja, a founder of the site, said in an interview. |
| Sara Hoda, 30, Walnut Creek, Calif. | Sara Hoda, 30, Walnut Creek, Calif. |
| Ms. Hoda was a teacher at a Montessori school who loved gardening, according to her former housemate Carol Crewdson, who helped her start a communal house in Oakland, hoping to help combat the housing crisis. “We sort of tried to make community work in a small space,” Ms. Crewdson said. “We would make gardens, and she would teach kids about gardens.” Ms. Crewdson said Ms. Hoda was an “honorable” person. Ms. Hoda was previously a representative for a local union assisting teachers. | Ms. Hoda was a teacher at a Montessori school who loved gardening, according to her former housemate Carol Crewdson, who helped her start a communal house in Oakland, hoping to help combat the housing crisis. “We sort of tried to make community work in a small space,” Ms. Crewdson said. “We would make gardens, and she would teach kids about gardens.” Ms. Crewdson said Ms. Hoda was an “honorable” person. Ms. Hoda was previously a representative for a local union assisting teachers. |
| Brandon Chase Wittenauer, 32, Hayward, Calif. | Brandon Chase Wittenauer, 32, Hayward, Calif. |
| Mr. Wittenauer was the vocalist in the music duo Symbiotix Fungi, who went by the name Nex Iuguolo, according to his Facebook page. | Mr. Wittenauer was the vocalist in the music duo Symbiotix Fungi, who went by the name Nex Iuguolo, according to his Facebook page. |
| Cash Askew, 22, Oakland | Cash Askew, 22, Oakland |
| Ms. Askew was a musician who performed with the band Them Are Us Too. “Completely heartbroken to lose such an incredible soul,” the group’s label, Dais Records, said on Twitter. “We love you Cash.” | Ms. Askew was a musician who performed with the band Them Are Us Too. “Completely heartbroken to lose such an incredible soul,” the group’s label, Dais Records, said on Twitter. “We love you Cash.” |
| Nick Gomez-Hall, 25, Coronado, Calif. | Nick Gomez-Hall, 25, Coronado, Calif. |
| Mr. Gomez-Hall worked at Counterpoint Press, a publisher based in Berkeley. “From the second Nick started at Counterpoint, he became part of our family,” the publisher wrote on Facebook. “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 book jacket or manuscript, he made everyone feel like they were his friend. He was kind, considerate, hilarious... In short, he was an essential part of our team.” | Mr. Gomez-Hall worked at Counterpoint Press, a publisher based in Berkeley. “From the second Nick started at Counterpoint, he became part of our family,” the publisher wrote on Facebook. “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 book jacket or manuscript, he made everyone feel like they were his friend. He was kind, considerate, hilarious... In short, he was an essential part of our team.” |
| Riley Fritz, 29, Oakland | Riley Fritz, 29, Oakland |
| Ms. Fritz, a musician, artist and transgender woman, had been in Oakland only a few months, but she was already enjoying her life there, said her brother, Ben Fritz, a newspaper reporter in Los Angeles. | Ms. Fritz, a musician, artist and transgender woman, had been in Oakland only a few months, but she was already enjoying her life there, said her brother, Ben Fritz, a newspaper reporter in Los Angeles. |
| “She came down here for Thanksgiving and she seemed to me to be the happiest that I’ve seen her in quite a while,” he said. | “She came down here for Thanksgiving and she seemed to me to be the happiest that I’ve seen her in quite a while,” he said. |
| After graduating from high school in Westport, Conn., where she grew up, Ms. Fritz studied printmaking at the School for the Visual Arts in Manhattan. She later lived with friends in North Carolina and Indiana, where she worked odd jobs to support her art. But ultimately Oakland, with its supportive artist and transgender communities, beckoned. | After graduating from high school in Westport, Conn., where she grew up, Ms. Fritz studied printmaking at the School for the Visual Arts in Manhattan. She later lived with friends in North Carolina and Indiana, where she worked odd jobs to support her art. But ultimately Oakland, with its supportive artist and transgender communities, beckoned. |
| Ms. Fritz had many passions: She played the bass guitar, experimented with other music and had plans to start a band. | Ms. Fritz had many passions: She played the bass guitar, experimented with other music and had plans to start a band. |
| She was an artist, a supporter of animal rights, and a voracious reader. | She was an artist, a supporter of animal rights, and a voracious reader. |
| “She’s the only person I’ve ever known who read David Foster Wallace’s ‘Infinite Jest,’” Mr. Fritz said. | “She’s the only person I’ve ever known who read David Foster Wallace’s ‘Infinite Jest,’” Mr. Fritz said. |
| Ms. Fritz, who also went by the name Feral Pines, adopted the name Riley as a woman in her 20s. She exhibited a strength that her brother admired. “I think she was very brave to follow her truth and be who she felt she was,” he said. | Ms. Fritz, who also went by the name Feral Pines, adopted the name Riley as a woman in her 20s. She exhibited a strength that her brother admired. “I think she was very brave to follow her truth and be who she felt she was,” he said. |
| Chelsea Dolan, 33, San Francisco | Chelsea Dolan, 33, San Francisco |
| Ms. Dolan, a musician, was at the warehouse on Friday night to perform, her grandmother, Marion Dolan, told WGRZ, an NBC affiliate in upstate New York. | Ms. Dolan, a musician, was at the warehouse on Friday night to perform, her grandmother, Marion Dolan, told WGRZ, an NBC affiliate in upstate New York. |
| “Music was her life. Everything was centered around her music, and if she got a chance to play, she went,” she said in an interview before her granddaughter’s death had been confirmed. | “Music was her life. Everything was centered around her music, and if she got a chance to play, she went,” she said in an interview before her granddaughter’s death had been confirmed. |
| Indeed, when Ms. Dolan wasn’t playing, she was a volunteer D.J. under the name Cherushii at the KALX community radio station, which is licensed to the University of California, Berkeley, the school said on Tuesday. | |
| Ms. Dolan visited her grandmother in the Buffalo area this past summer to celebrate her 90th birthday, the elder Ms. Dolan said. | Ms. Dolan visited her grandmother in the Buffalo area this past summer to celebrate her 90th birthday, the elder Ms. Dolan said. |
| “All I saw of her was a happy gal,” she said. | “All I saw of her was a happy gal,” she said. |
| Jennifer Morris, 21, Foster City, Calif. | Jennifer Morris, 21, Foster City, Calif. |
| Ms. Morris was one of three members of the University of California, Berkeley, community who were killed in the fire, the school announced on Tuesday. She was a junior and had plans to major in media studies. Before coming to Berkeley, Ms. Morris had studied at UC Santa Cruz. | Ms. Morris was one of three members of the University of California, Berkeley, community who were killed in the fire, the school announced on Tuesday. She was a junior and had plans to major in media studies. Before coming to Berkeley, Ms. Morris had studied at UC Santa Cruz. |
| “We are working together as a community to help process this tragic loss,” Chancellor Nicholas Dirks said in a Sunday message to the Berkeley community. | “We are working together as a community to help process this tragic loss,” Chancellor Nicholas Dirks said in a Sunday message to the Berkeley community. |
| Jennifer Kiyomi Tanouye, 31, Oakland | Jennifer Kiyomi Tanouye, 31, Oakland |
| Music was central to Ms. Tanouye’s life, both personally and professionally. By day, she worked for Shazam, a music discovery service, which remembered her fondly on Twitter and encouraged visitors to its site to donate to a fund for victims of the fire. | Music was central to Ms. Tanouye’s life, both personally and professionally. By day, she worked for Shazam, a music discovery service, which remembered her fondly on Twitter and encouraged visitors to its site to donate to a fund for victims of the fire. |
| In a 2012 profile, The East Bay Express described Ms. Tanouye as “easily as stylish” as any of the artists she booked for an annual Mission Creek Music and Arts Festival that she helped run at the time. The author also credited her with “creating what may be the most promising arts event that the city has seen this year.” | In a 2012 profile, The East Bay Express described Ms. Tanouye as “easily as stylish” as any of the artists she booked for an annual Mission Creek Music and Arts Festival that she helped run at the time. The author also credited her with “creating what may be the most promising arts event that the city has seen this year.” |
| Edmond Lapine, 34, Oakland | Edmond Lapine, 34, Oakland |
| Growing up, Mr. Lapine moved around Utah several times, but music was always a constant, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. | Growing up, Mr. Lapine moved around Utah several times, but music was always a constant, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. |
| He taught himself how to play the guitar and joined several bands. Later, he became a D.J. Throughout, he was surrounded by friends, his father, Bob Lapine, said. | He taught himself how to play the guitar and joined several bands. Later, he became a D.J. Throughout, he was surrounded by friends, his father, Bob Lapine, said. |
| “When Edmond was in high school, they took a field trip to England,” he told The Chronicle. “My son was the tallest kid in the class and he dyed his hair bright green. I go, ‘Oh, Ed.’ I was so embarrassed. But wherever Ed went, a lot of kids would follow. He went over to England and the teachers said all they had to do was look for Ed and his green hair and there would be everybody else.” | “When Edmond was in high school, they took a field trip to England,” he told The Chronicle. “My son was the tallest kid in the class and he dyed his hair bright green. I go, ‘Oh, Ed.’ I was so embarrassed. But wherever Ed went, a lot of kids would follow. He went over to England and the teachers said all they had to do was look for Ed and his green hair and there would be everybody else.” |
| Those who knew him remembered him as social and supportive — someone who sought out common ground when discussing music. | Those who knew him remembered him as social and supportive — someone who sought out common ground when discussing music. |
| Micah Danemayer, 28, Oakland | Micah Danemayer, 28, Oakland |
| Mr. Danemayer had just moved in with his girlfriend when the pair attended the party at the warehouse on Friday, a friend told KRON, an Oakland television station. | Mr. Danemayer had just moved in with his girlfriend when the pair attended the party at the warehouse on Friday, a friend told KRON, an Oakland television station. |
| The friend, Eric Stucke, said he met Mr. Danemayer through the electronic music scene and the two would frequently meet up at Brotzeit Lokal, an Oakland restaurant. During those meetings, Mr. Danemayer would make new friends, too, Mr. Stucke said. | The friend, Eric Stucke, said he met Mr. Danemayer through the electronic music scene and the two would frequently meet up at Brotzeit Lokal, an Oakland restaurant. During those meetings, Mr. Danemayer would make new friends, too, Mr. Stucke said. |
| “He was basically an open book,” Mr. Stucke said. “He had his thing, he had very specific tastes, but yet he was a super-inclusive person.” | “He was basically an open book,” Mr. Stucke said. “He had his thing, he had very specific tastes, but yet he was a super-inclusive person.” |
| Nicole Siegrist, 29, Oakland | |
| Ms. Siegrist, originally from Lincoln, Neb., played the synthesizer in a band called Introflirt. | |
| “People were just drawn to her from her energy, her unique perspective, optimism and creativity,” Carina McCormick, who knew her in Lincoln, told The Omaha World-Herald. | |
| Ms. Siegrist went to the warehouse with five friends, her mother, Carol Cidlik, said in an online post, according to the newspaper. As conditions worsened, she wrote in a text message to her mother: “I’m going to die now.” | |
| Alex Vega, 22, San Bruno | |
| Mr. Vega had not yet decided on a career, but worked at a mortuary and as a valet at a hospital, according to The East Bay Times. He loved music and cars and liked to dabble in art, painting and photography, the newspaper reported. | |
| Mr. Vega’s girlfriend, Michela Gregory, was also killed in the fire. | |
| “There were some folks that were found hugging each other,” said Ms. Gregory’s father, David Gregory. “I believe my daughter and Alex were hugging each other. To the end, they were together, trying to help each other, I’m sure. I know it.” | |
| Michela Angelina Gregory, 20 | |
| Ms. Gregory was studying communication disorders at San Francisco State University, hoping for a career in helping children with special needs, according to The Los Angeles Times. | |
| She had part-time jobs at a clothing store and a funeral home, the newspaper reported. Her boyfriend, Alex Vega, worked with her at the funeral home and also died at the warehouse. | |
| “They were each other’s best friends,” said her mother, Kimberly Gregory. “They were just like two peas in a pod.” | |
| Ara Christina Jo, 29, Oakland | |
| Ms. Jo was a co-organizer of the East Bay Alternative Book and Zine Fest and worked at an art and printing retail store in Berkeley, according to The Los Angeles Times. | |
| “She’s an incredibly energetic person, who can cheer up a room just by existing, a lot of energy packed in that small body,” Jeremy Erickson, a co-worker, told The San Jose Mercury-News. | |
| On her website, Ms. Jo listed her specialties as illustration, graphic design, crafting and hair/nails. | |
| Jennifer Mendiola, 35, Oakland | |
| Ms. Mendiola was a graduate student studying psychology at the University of California, Merced, according to Dorothy Leland, the school’s chancellor. | |
| “Colleagues have described Jennifer as a passionate and determined scientist, with an inquisitive mind and a collaborative spirit,” Ms. Leland wrote in a letter to the campus community. | |
| In 2015, Ms. Mendiola co-authored an op-ed in The Los Angeles Times about the reluctance of Latinos to get flu shots. She had been finalizing her dissertation proposal for her defense in January. | |
| Jason McCarty, 35, Oakland | |
| Mr. McCarty moved from Iowa to California to pursue a master’s degree at the San Francisco Art Institute, and had dabbled in illustration, design, photography, painting and music, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. A former teacher, Andrew Benson, described him as “one of the hungry ones.” | |
| His girlfriend, Grace Lovio, told The Los Angeles Times that he worked for an audiovisual company and was a sound artist for bands. | |
| “Love you a zilliopzazillion,” he wrote to her in a Facebook message on Saturday. | |
| Draven McGill, 17, San Francisco | |
| Mr. McGill, the youngest victim, was a junior at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, where he was a baritone in the choir, according to The San Francisco Chronicle. | |
| “As parents, teachers, children, students, brothers, sisters, and friends, we share in the heartbreak of his family and will embrace them and each other as Asawa SOTA family,” Barnaby Payne, the school’s principal, wrote in a statement. | |
| Mr. McGill was the son of a deputy in the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office, which was in charge of recovering and examining the bodies from the scene of the fire, according to the newspaper. | |
| “It really touches home with all of our people who worked alongside our deputy for the past 10 years,” Greg Ahern, the Alameda County Sheriff-Coroner, said at a news conference, according to KPIX, a local TV station. “So it is really emotional for people working on this site and the families that have lost a loved one.” |