TOLL SOARS TO 33; DA LAUNCHES PROBE
FAMILIES WAIT FOR MISSING LOVED ONES TO BE ID’D FROM WAREHOUSE WRECKAGE
FIRST VICTIMS IDENTIFIED
Fire and police officials released these names Sunday after notifying families. More on their lives,
Donna Kellogg Age: 32 Home: Oakland Kellogg was described by Josh Howes, an old boyfriend who went to the fire scene early Sunday, as a “super awesome, fiery, intelligent, redhead who wanted to be a healer.” Howes, who dated Kellogg for four to five years, said she was studying nutrition. A relative of Kellogg’s Sunday posted a notice on Facebook that Kellogg had died in the blaze and said, “My prayers for Donna and all the victims and their families.” Nick Gomez-Hall Age: 25 Home: Coronado Gomez-Hall passionately discussed environmental issues, and supported Native Americans at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in South Dakota and the Black Lives Matter movement on social media. His Facebook profile showed his love for music, photography and travels through desolate dirt roads in the desert. Gomez-Hall worked as an administrative assistant at Counterpoint Press, according to the independent news site, Berkeleyside. His roommate could not be reached for comment late Sunday, but friends mourned his death on Facebook. “Nick made me—and many others—feel a little less alone in some of the most challenging years of our lives. I hope his family and friends feel a little less alone knowing how much he impacted each and every one of us,” one woman wrote on Facebook. Sara Hoda Age: 30 Home: Walnut Creek Hoda worked at a Montessori school, according to her friend, Carol Crewdson. The two met in 2010 when they started an art collective known as the Musick Box, housing up to 32 creatives at a time. They lost touch when the collective closed down. Crewdson took to Facebook Sunday evening to pay tribute to her friend. “Sara was a principled person, she was compassionate, decent, and honorable. She didn’t do drugs and she wasn’t a drinker. She was a teacher and a gardener, working at a Montessori school. She was a good hard working person, she loved children and the earth, and she put those principles into actions. “The Urban Montessori Charter School in Oakland lists Hoda as an elementary teacher. Travis Hough Age: 35 Home: Oakland Hough performed as a member of the electronic music group Ghost of Lightning. His father, Brian Hough, announced his son’s death on Facebook, posting a picture of him smiling with his son, a scenic mountain landscape behind them. Travis has his arm around his father’s shoulders. “A photo of my son Travis and me,” Brian wrote Saturday. “He died last night in the warehouse fire in Oakland.” The post was followed by dozens of heartbroken comments from those who knew Travis. David Cline Age: 24 Home: Oakland Cline, a UC Berkeley alumnus, was originally from Santa Monica, according to his Facebook page. He graduated from UC Berkeley last year with bachelor’s degrees in cognitive science and computer science, according to the independent news site, Berkeleyside. On Sunday, his brother, Neil Cline, posted about David’s death on Facebook: “To all of you, thank you,” he wrote. “Thank you for your kindness, help and love. To David, we love you. You will be with us always.” Cash Askew Age: 22 Home: Oakland Askew performed as part of the Goth duo Them Are Us Too. In an interview with journalist Beth Winegarner earlier this year, which was posted over the weekend on Medium, Askew, a transgender woman, said she was originally drawn to goth and new wave music in part because of the androgyny many of the performers exhibited. An online fundraiser set up to support Askew’s family had raised more than $10,000 Sunday evening. “Sunny Haire and Leisa Baird Askew and Christopher Askew lost their precious child Cash Askew in the Oakland Warehouse fire Friday night,” the page said. “They will surely not be able to work for some time — please contribute what you can at least they don’t need to worry about money as they deal with this shock and initial grieving.” Brandon Chase Wittenauer Age: 32 Home: Hayward Wittenauer, who was known as Chase or Nex Iuguolo to friends and fans of his music, sang with the band Symbiotix.Fungi, performing a “melodic blend of avant synthpop and radio rock combined with a unique hint of industrial flavor,” according to the group’s Facebook page. He updated his Facebook photograph Thursday, the day before the deadly fire, with a snapshot that showed the young man with long, curly hair and dark eyes staring intently into the camera. Friends first complimented Wittenauer on his good looks, but the posts changed quickly: “I woke up to this beautiful picture Saturday morning, no clue that disaster was around the corner,” one woman wrote. “And now here we are torn to pieces unable to fix it. Life can be so cruel.”