The city of Oakland, California, will pay more than $32 million to settle lawsuits brought on behalf of victims of the deadly 2016 "Ghost Ship" fire in which 36 people died, officials announced.
"This was a horrific tragedy that deeply impacted every corner of our community," a statement from the city attorney's office said.
The fire occurred in a warehouse that had been converted without permits into a residence for artists. There were no fire sprinklers or alarms.
When the fire broke out Dec. 2, 2016, there was an electronic music party on the second floor.
Fire officials and former residents have described the first floor of the building as a "labyrinth" and a firetrap, and a survivor testified that people who were unable to escape came up a flight of stairs shaking their heads and saying, "No." The stairs were built out of wooden shipping pallets. The settlement announced Friday allocates $23.5 million for the families of those who died, as well as $9.2 for someone who survived, Sam Maxwell, the city statement said.