Inspectors had discovered multiple violations just three days before the blaze.
Beck Diefenbach/Reuters
A fatal fire this week in a transitional-housing building in Oakland was caused by a burning candle, authorities said Thursday. The fire killed four people and displaced dozens of others Monday, renewing scrutiny over how city fire inspectors handle substandard housing just months after dozens were killed in a similar fire. Authorities say they have ruled out arson as a cause of the latest fire, which broke out in a building that had been the subject of numerous complaints and eviction notices. The building, which had been leased out by nonprofit agencies, housed recovering drug addicts and people trying to get back on their feet after being homeless. The fire broke out just three days after inspectors discovered inoperable fire alarms and sprinklers in the building, as well as a lack of fire extinguishers, the Associated Press reported. Erica Terry Derryck, a spokeswoman for Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, declined to comment further Thursday on the candle behind the fire. A separate statement released by the city said an investigation into the fire would be wrapped up within a few weeks. City authorities had vowed to crack down on regulating substandard housing after a fire at a warehouse dubbed the Ghost Ship left 36 people dead in December. In the aftermath of that fire, it was revealed that fire inspectors hadn’t even entered the premises in over 30 years.
