California warehouse fire death toll hits 33

THE grisly search for bodies in the charred remains of a California warehouse entered its third day yesterday, with relatives of the missing being asked to provide DNA samples to speed up identification.

Only half of the burned-out building has so far been examined, with the confirmed death toll at 33, and officials admitted Sunday they do not know how many more dead they will find.

“We’re expecting the worst and hoping for the best in regards to how many more victims we find,” Sergeant Ray Kelly of the Alameda County Sheriff ’s Department said.

“The number will go up,” Kelly said of the death toll. “Firefighters are tired, exhausted. This is very emotional.” He said the search effort is expected to last days, with between 50 and 100 people believed to have attended the rave at the Oakland warehouse, which was used by artists.

In a macabre indication of what the fire may have done to the bodies, authorities are asking relatives to preserve hairbrushes and toothbrushes to assist in matching DNA samples.

Although the cause of the fastmoving blaze remains under investigation, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said the district attorney had opened a criminal investigation as a precaution to preserve options as the case unfolds. Images published online show artwork, pianos and wooden objects throughout the building, which helps explain why the blaze raced through the structure despite the arrival of firefighters within three minutes.