Survivors Recall Horrific Moments Fleeing Oakland Warehouse Fire

OAKLAND (CBSLA.com) — Officials in Oakland say the death toll from a fire at a warehouse during a dance party has climbed to 33.

Carmen Brito describes the moment her life changed forever. She and Nikki Kelber both lived in the warehouse. Brito was trying to sleep on the first floor.

"I woke up to smoke and an orange glow coming from the corner. In the time it took me to get on my coat and my shoes the entire wall was on fire," Brito said.

She was able to make it to the door.

"I was shouting for help and people started to run toward the fire and people were grabbing fire extinguishers to put it out. People who were there for the event - nobody knew what was going on. In the time that it took me to walk from the back to the front - maybe 30 seconds I was already dizzy from the smoke."

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"We're going back and forth between feeling like oh my god I almost died to - I lost everything to - oh my gosh all these people died in our home,"

Brito and Kelber say more than 20 people lived in the warehouse at any given time. Officials say the building was not permitted for a living space. It was an artists' collective known as Oakland Ghost Ship.

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