Father, Filmmaker From Orange, N.J., Among Ghost Ship Fire Victims In California

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — New Jersey sadly has a connection to the horrendous warehouse fire in Oakland, California last week: recent Essex County transplant Alex Ghassan.

Ghassan, a former Orange resident who reportedly had just moved to California to be closer to his daughters, identified himself as a “dad, director, producer and Haitian” on his Instagram profile. He was also an Art Institute of New York Alumni, according to his Vimeo profile.

Authorities have confirmed that Ghassan was one of the victims who perished in the Dec. 2 fire, which ripped through a warehouse in Oakland's Fruitvale neighborhood where an unlicensed electronic music concert was underway, leaving at least 33 people dead, a number that is expected to rise as authorities release additional verified identities.

An event called "Golden Donna 100% Silk 2016 West Coast Tour" was apparently taking place at the location of the fire. Crews did not hear any smoke detectors going off when they arrived and the building had no sprinklers.

The fire is now the deadliest in Oakland's history; the 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm killed 25 and injured 150.

• See related article: Oakland Warehouse Fire: 33 Killed; IDs Released; Recovery Efforts Continue

A recent Twitter video shows Ghassan teaching his daughters how to fish, illustrating the importance that family played in the successful filmmaker’s life.

Ghassan showed his Garden State roots in a tear-inducing social media post just hours before the fire.

“Oakland reminds me of Jersey City so much at times,” he wrote.

• See related article: N.J. Man Among 24 Missing In Deadly CA Warehouse Fire, Reports Say

The father of two was with his fiancée at the time of the tragedy, who is also feared to have been killed in the inferno, ABC 6 reported.

THE WORLD LOSES AN ARTIST

Ghassan’s professional website states that he has spent the last seven years “producing and directing projects for various institutions, record labels, along with various independent artists and corporations in the New York City market. In addition, he’s collaborated with artists such as Spike Lee, Talib Kweli, Skyzoo, !LLmind, Iamsu/HBK and Bodega Bamz.

Most recently, Ghassan worked in California as a contributing documentary producer for PBS affiliate KQED in San Francisco.

As a producer in New York, Ghassan curated two seasons of a web series on FuseTV, a series profiled up and coming indie talent in music called “Behind the Unsigned”.

Watch his 2016 director/producer showreel below, and see more at www.alexgdirector.com.

Photo: Alameda County Sheriff's Office

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