The trial of two men charged over a deadly California warehouse fire two years ago has got off to an emotional and dramatic start as the names and photos of the 36 partygoers that were killed were shown to the court.
The opening of the trial left many family members in tears on Tuesday as they listened to a prosecutor reveal how choking smoke and panic seized most of the victims attending the unpermitted music concert - Ghost Ship - in an illegally converted Oakland warehouse.
The operators of the warehouse, Derick Almena, 49, and Max Harris 29, have been in jail since they were each charged with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter after the December 2016 inferno.
Prosecutors charged the men because they illegally converted a warehouse zoned only for industrial use into a residence and entertainment venue crammed 'floor to ceiling with unconventional, flammable materials'.
The trial of two men charged over a deadly warehouse fire in Oakland, California two years ago has got off to an emotional and dramatic start as the names and photos of the 36 partygoers that were killed were shown to the court
The operators of the warehouse, Derick Almena, 49, and Max Harris 29, have been in jail since they were each charged with 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter after the December 2016 inferno
The pair are accused of filling the warehouse with highly flammable furniture, art pieces and other knickknacks that made it difficult for visitors to quickly find exits during the fast-moving fire on December 2, 2016.
Almena and Harris also allegedly failed to provide adequate safety equipment, exits and signage.
The court heard that no one heard the signal fire alarm go off that night, giving partygoers no notice that a fire had broken out.
The warehouse also lacked sprinklers to slow the fast-moving fire and give them time to escape.
'They died because they had no notice, no time and no exits,' Alameda County deputy district attorney Casey Bates told the court.
Bates also recounted the harrowing tales of two survivors who barely escaped the fast-moving fire. He said the survivors would testify how they managed to escape while blinded in a darkened room by choking smoke and fire.
He finished his opening statement by showing jurors text messages sent from two victims saying goodbye to loved ones as the fire closed in on them and they perished.
The trial got off to an emotional and dramatic start on Tuesday as the names and photos of the 36 partygoers that were killed were shown to the court
The pair are accused of filling the warehouse with highly flammable furniture, art pieces and other knickknacks that made it
