Oakland Warehouse Fire: Missing Lakewood Woman Confirmed Dead

LAKEWOOD, CA — A Lakewood woman who had been among the missing in the deadly Oakland warehouse fire was confirmed dead late Tuesday night, authorities said.

Vanessa Plotkin, 21, was identified late Tuesday by the Alameda County Sheriff's Office Coroner's Bureau as one of the people who died in Friday night's warehouse fire.

The final death toll for the "Ghost Ship" warehouse fire is 36, making it the deadliest fire in Oakland's history. Late Tuesday, authorities said searchers have finished combing the warehouse for victims.

While there has been much speculation over the past day about the cause of the fire being an old refrigerator, the ATF has not yet made its official determination.

Plotkin was attending an electronic concert at the warehouse with her roommate, Jennifer Morris, who was also one of the confirmed dead. Friends and family had been posting on social media in a desperate attempt to locate Plotkin, who was a student at UC Berkeley.

Plotkin's father, Gary Plotkin, told the San Francisco Chronicle that the family was distraught when she was unaccounted for.

"We're beside ourselves," Gary Plotkin said. "This is just like a nightmare. I can't believe this."

The fire broke out at 11:30 p.m. Friday during an unauthorized electronic music concert, and it was unclear how many people were in the building at the time of the fire. The location of the concert had been a secret until shortly before the show, according to the Los Angeles Times.

When the announcement was made on social media via Twitter and Instagram, about 70 people had gathered at the "Ghost Ship," a warehouse that was turned into an artist live-work place, the Times reported.

There were apparently no fire alarms or working sprinklers inside the building.

By the time firefighters arrived, they were met with flames shooting out of three sides of the building. The fire grew so intense that it became too dangerous for them to enter. The Alameda County District Attorney's office has begun a criminal investigation into the cause of the fire, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said Sunday.

The victims of the fire ranged in age from 17 to their 30s, authorities said. Twenty-seven victims have been publicly identified, including two people from overseas.

For the latest on the Oakland warehouse fire, click here.

Additional Coverage:

• Oakland Warehouse Fire Latest: 27 Identities Released
• ‘Ghost Ship’ Manager Derick Ion Almena Defends Actions
• Oakland Fire Donations: 2 Official Victim Funds Established
• Oakland Warehouse Fire: 33 Killed, IDs to Be Released, Recovery Efforts Continue (UPDATES)
• Support Pours in for Oakland Fire Victims: How You Can Help
• Oakland Warehouse Fire: Nightclubs Have Long Posed Safety Questions
• Oakland Warehouse Fire: 10 Bodies Recovered, Dozens More Deaths Suspected (UPDATES)
• Oakland Warehouse Fire: Three UC Berkeley Students Among the Missing Says Student Paper

Victims:

• Oakland Fire Victims Identified: Coroner's Bureau Releases Names of 7
• Oakland Warehouse Fire: Santa Monica Man Among Those Killed
• Oakland Fire Victim From Walnut Creek
• Oakland Fire Victim From Hayward, Coroner Reports
• Coronado Man Identified As Victim In Oakland Fire
• Oakland Warehouse Fire: Lakewood Woman Among the Missing
• Morristown Man Missing From Deadly CA Warehouse Fire: Report
• N.J. Man Among 24 Missing In Deadly CA Warehouse Fire, Reports Say
• Youngest Victim of Oakland Warehouse Fire Was 17-Year-Old San Francisco Student
• 2 Berkeley Residents Identified as Oakland Fire Victims

-- Photo courtesy of the city of Oakland