Ybor warehouse shut down after 'rave' weeks before Oakland fire

TAMPA (FOX 13) - A warehouse art space in Ybor City that fire officials said was being used for "raves," was shutdown.

The closure happened just weeks before a deadly warehouse fire in Oakland, California, where 36 people were killed.

On November 12, a Tampa Police officers said they observed loud music, flashing lights and dozens of people outside Live Art Laboratories at 1803 East 2nd Avenue in Tampa.

The warehouse, just over 5,000 square feet, is coded as a storage and office space, according to Tampa Fire officials.

"Certain buildings aren't designed to house an assembly. They don't meet the fire safety equipment, like a fire alarm or sprinkler system," said Mike Zurla, a fire investigator with Tampa Fire & Rescue.

Police contacted the fire marshal, who shut down the party and had TECO cut off power to the building. According to fire officials, the owner and tenant of the art warehouse were warned twice in October during similar parties that the building was not coded for such events.

Fire officials said an estimated 50 people were seen leaving the building as they entered on November 12. It's unclear how many people were in attendance at the party.

Officials said some of their many concerns included a limited amount of exits and inward swinging doors.

"In an assembly, doors are meant to swing outward, with the flow of the exit. When they swing in, [people] can get jammed up inside the doorway," said Zurla.

Last Friday, 36 people died at another art warehouse in Oakland, California.

Officials said the "Ghostship" warehouse was being used as an art space by day and a night club by night.

Partygoers on the second floor of the facility became trapped when a fire sparked on the ground level and blocked both of their staircases to exit. The warehouse was not permitted to hold parties.

"It sends chills up all of our spines to see something like that happen," said Zurla.

A woman who attended the last "rave" at Live Art Labs told Fox 13 the inside of the warehouse was very cluttered and it appeared that several young people were living there.

Fire officials said they will continue to monitor the warehouse to insure no future parties are held.