OAKLAND, Calif. New York Times reporters are investigating the devastating fire that killed 36 people this month at a warehouse called the Ghost Ship in Oakland, Calif. Were also doing something new: providing regular updates on our findings. Do you have information, advice or feedback? Send email to
oaklandfire@nytimes.com.
The first update can be found
here .
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For about 20 years, Griselda Ceja and her family rented a portion of the building next to the burned warehouse. From there, Ms. Ceja ran a beauty salon she called Griseldas. (The salon is still listed on Google Maps.)
She never took care of the building, Ms. Ceja said. We were scared. We were all scared.
Ms. Ceja, 43, described troubling conditions: a circuit box and light fixtures that sparked as she dried customers hair. A blocked emergency exit. An aged electric system that failed constantly. There were also rats in the walls and holes in the floors.
She wanted to go elsewhere but couldnt afford to, she said.
Ms. Ceja said she complained frequently to Ms. Ng and her relatives, communicating through letters, phone calls and text messages. After about a year, Ms. Ceja said, the Ngs added a second circuit box, an effort to stop the sparking.