Longtime Oakland firefighter Darin White was named fire chief Thursday, the city’s second choice after a Los Angeles candidate turned down the job over a contract dispute.
White, who has spent 20 of his 30-year career in Oakland, will lead a beleaguered department recovering from the Ghost Ship blaze, the deadliest structure fire in modern California history that uncovered failures to properly inspect commercial and multi-unit residential buildings.
The Oakland native most recently served as interim chief, after Teresa Deloach Reed went on leave and later retired in the wake of the Dec. 2 warehouse fire that killed 36 people attending a dance party.
Mayor Libby Schaaf and City Administrator Sabrina Landreth announced the hiring Thursday.