and it's sitting on san bruno mountain. we are expecting that mountain to give us a closer look at exactly how much rainfall we're expecting in the bay area. good morning. and thank you for joining us. i'm vianey arana with a look at your microclimate forecast. overall, we are expecting this cold front to push through but if you're wondering what is a storm ranger, here's a closer look. it scans in the horizontal area to give us rain data. it gives us higher resolution that can detect everything from fog to exactly how much rainfall is falling in the bay area and here's a live look right now at san bruno mountain where it's currently sitting. we are expecting that rain to continue throughout the majority of the morning at at 9:00 a.m. it's going to be 58 degrees and it's also getting windier out there. we're tracking the possibility of seeing some gusts that could hit anywhere between 25 to 30 miles per hour, but here's a live look right now across the remainder of the bay area. the south bay's already seeing those overcast skies. we did see some overnight rain in the south bay and we are expecting that rain to hit the south bay yet again but not until about 10:00 or 11:00. now, east bay, north bay, north bay getting hit the hardest right now as the majority of that storm system is currently sitting over the north bay area. we are expecting that start pushing south. here's a live look right now at our satellite radar. you can see the majority of the darker color where that yellow and that green is, is where the heaviest rainfall currently is expected. already seeing almost 2 inches of rain in the north bay. san francisco also getting hit right now. and we are expecting heavier pockets of rainfall, not just early this morning but also through the mid afternoon. we'll have a closer look at that coming up in just a bit. and as a reminder, our nbc bay area app connects you to our live doppler radar. you'll know when and where the rain will move and arrive. you can also get personalized forecasts for your neighborhood at the palm of your hand. now to other news. there are new developments with the oakland fire. here's a look at the 36 people who died. all of them had a unique story. the complete list of names has now been released. and it was exactly one week ago at about this time when we were learning about how bad the situation was. this morning, more answers and more hard felt vigils. federal investigators will remain on site through the weekend. they're still searching for the cause. they did rule out a refrigerator as a source of the fire. they say there is still no evidence of arson. a special forensics team is creating a digital map of the inside of the warehouse. and dozens of people marched last night, paying tribute to those 36 victims who died in the fire. the march marked the one-week anniversary of the devastating fire. it started with a ritual near the bar station. a councilman led the way. he said he doesn't want to see another warehouse tragedy on his watch. he is demanding answers from the city of oakland while the communitimen community wants to make sure people don't forget. >> even if we don't know who you are, even we deponeon't know personally each one of you, we love you. >> the city was looking at hiring people to fill positions within the fire department to inspect places like the ghost ship warehouse but it had been put on the back burner. hundreds of people gathered across oakland to honor the 36 people who died. there were songs filled with love and bubbles, symbolizing hope at the oakland museum last night. those in attendance observed a moment of silence for the 36 fire victims, an installation shared inside about each of the victims, including alex, whose videos were part of an exhibition at the oakland museum what concluded six weeks ago. paper cranes were folded in their memory. >> i think it's a beautiful thing that's oakland's coming together to support the community. you know, what happens was a tragic event. and the fact that the community just seems so together and strong, it's a beautiful thing. >> at oakland's first congregation church, the pacific boy choir academy dedicated last night's performance in memory of former choir member 17-year-old draven mcgill. >> he did not have enough time. it's a shame. he was the youngest one, and it's just not fair. sung his heart out and loved his fellow singers in our choir. >> the pacific boy choir academy is raising money for a scholarship fund in mcgill's name. in a programming note, we are hosting an nbc bay area special tonight on the oakland fire. we investigate the loopholes and oversights surrounding this warehouse and we profile many of the people who died. it begins tonight at 6:30. meanwhile, a major clean-up and a major fix in san francisco is about to wrap up this morning. crews have been added for more than 24 hours. a water main broke on howard street and here's what it looked like when it happened. water went rushing into a nearby parking garage and construction site. officials say the water pipe dated back to 1895. the city shut down the intersection, snarling traffic all day yesterday. >> the puc has undertaken an aggressive goal of repairing or replaces about 15 miles of pipe per year, although clearly we haven't caught up with all the vulnerable ones. >> and there is good news. the road is expected to reopen around 7:30 this morning. and of course, we'll continue to update on this road repair across all of our digital platforms. just check out our twitter feed or go to nbcbayarea.com. and one of the two inmates who escaped from the santa clara county jail was back in court yesterday. chavez did not enter a plea as scheduled. he and campbell broke out of a jail on thanksgiving eve, through the bars of a second floor jail window and lowering themselves to the ground with sheets tied together. both were captured several days later. campbell has pled no contest to his charges. and follow-up now to the case of an inmate beaten to death inside the santa clara jail. michael's family will accept $3.6 million from the county in a settlement teal. tyree was killed in his cell last year. the three guards accused of killing him have pled not guilty and a trial is set for next month. tyree's estate is made up of his sisters and daughter. coming up, dressed like santa but instead of giving gifts, he's taking. why police are searching for this man and what one neighborhood is going to try to stop him and the chances of the raiders staying are getting better, details on what may be the best plan yet to keep the team in oakland. jose - communications hill (adlib) the calm before the storm in san jose, communications hill, already seeing some clouds, but not rain quite yet. we are tracking weather in the bay area. and a hint of relief at san jose state after police arrested a man accused of sexual battery but this is just one of many suspects. 19-year-old david kong is in custody on charges of groping a woman in the student union. police say there's at least one other suspect in a recent series of sexual assaults. the university says it will take several steps in the coming months to make the campus safer, including hiring more campus police officers. and it's a case of a bad santa in san francisco. he says he's helping the needy. but he was caught on camera helping himself. "today in the bay" has more on a real life grinch who's trying to steal christmas. >> reporter: a doorbell with a camera showed a san francisco homeowner a man wearing a santa hat and a bow tie was at his front door. he didn't think anything of it until the camera kept activates. >> pulled up the video from the ring doorbell and saw they had broken in the front door and were moving in and out of the house. >> reporter: the burglary victim, who wants to remain anonymous, shared the video with his neighbors. >> he came in and ring the bell. >> reporter: turns out, he was working the neighborhood thursday. this shot is taken a block away from the burglary. the woman says the man told her his name was happy feet, he and his friend were raising money for charity. maria says while she had a nagging feeling, that outfit eased her suspicions. >> here in the bay and other house, i say, yes, well, i think it's okay. >> reporter: with a broken door frame and missing valuables, the victim wants everyone to know this team is not helping the needy. it's stealing valuables and spoiling the spirit of the season. >> people who are willing to burglarize your home, they can masquerade as someone off the street that you think you can trust. >> reporter: nbc bay area news. >> we have much more ahead on "today in the bay." city leaders with working oncoming up with an 11th hour plan to keep the raiders in oakland. plus more problems for the infamous stanford band. another alcohol related violation. coming up, a scolding from university leaders plus we have storm ranger up on san bruno mountain and it's tracking wet rain across the bay area. we have your full forecast coming up. we've got some cloud cover over san jose right now but we are tracking rain that should be making its way from the north bay down to the south bay. we have details on your forecast coming up. but first, the band has been disbanded and this could be the final blow for the infamous stanford band. another alcohol violation has prompted a bitter response from campus leaders tonight. the band has been under an alcohol suspension since last year along with title ix violations. the university says it violated that suspension and here's the punishment. the band will no longer be a recognized campus organization. it will be disbanded until 2018. upon its return, it will be led by a professional music director. band members say they're being punished harsher than any other student organization. "we do not feel that the current leadership or membership is capable of creating the necessary cultural change. we feel there is a total lack of accountability and responsibility in the current organization." and two weeks ago, ronnie gave us exclusive details of his proposal to keep the raiders in oakland and now other parts of the deal have been exposed. next week, the city and county will vote whether to green light this deal. bottom line, this is oakland's best shot to keep the raiders. here's "today in the bay's" ian cole. >> reporter: details show how oakland and alameda county are coming together, hoping to keep the raiders in the east bay. it would include a new 55,000 seat stadium. among the finances, the city would invest $200 million towards infrastructure costs, but spend no money on the actual construction of the stadium and apparently it would not come from the city's general fund. the plan calls for a grand central-like revamp to the colise coliseum b.a.r.t. station. >> it's the closest that the city and the county have ever been on securing the raiders here in oakland. >> reporter: the plan laid out includes $400 million from an investment group led by hall of famer ronnie lott, who we recently spoke with about the deal. >> this is one of those things in life where, get it done. do the work. you know? wear your hard hat and get it done. >> reporter: the deal is aimed to make oakland the attractive choice to the nfl and its owners over the proposed las vegas plan. >> to say, look, guys, we're not out of this thing. we're real. we're going to have a competitive package and we want you as owners to see it. >> reporter: perhaps the hardest owner to dwins, mark davis, who insists he's only negotiating with las vegas now where a deal has been in place since october. oakland hopes this plan will change the game. ian cole, nbc bay area news. >> and taxpayers aren't completely off the hook, whether the raiders stay or leave, taxpayers still owe $95 million from 1995, when the raiders moved back from l.a. and we do want to remind you that we are under a microclimate weather alert across the bay area, so if you're just now waking up, you want to tune in because we are tracking a front that is expected to bring some pretty serious rainfall totals across the bay area. right now, it's sitting over the north bay. peninsula is seeing some rain right now, 56 degrees. we aren't tracking chilly temperatures, though, we are expected to remain in the 50s and 60s, but overall the biggest threat right now is going to be that rainfall and because we are tracking rain, we do currently have our storm ranger in action and what this does is it scans in the horizontal to provide the most current and latest rain data that other radars aren't able to capture. it expands higher resolution and can detect anything from fog to dangers. it is currently sitting on san bruno mountain and here's a time line. at about 9:00 a.m., we are expecting heavier rainfall to start pouring through as the system tracks from the north to the south bay. by about 10:00 or 11:00, it could be reaching the south bay so if you did have plans to be out on the road at this time, you may want to take some extra time because right now it is showing the possibility of some pretty slick roads. here's a look right now at where the storm ranger is sitting right now over san bruno mountain and we can actively see that tracking storm cells, sitting right here, seeing that rainfall moving all the way from the north bay down to san francisco and also falling really heavy along the santa cruz mountain. nearly close to 2 inches of rainfall and as this continues to push through, san jose is still sitting in that rain shadow, but by about 11:00 or 12:00, we are seeing a better chance for that rainfall to start making its way in and that's going to bring widespread showers. here's a look at your estimated rain totals over the next 72 hours. already close to 1 1/2 inches. out near napa, the majority of that rainfall is expected to push through before it makes its way down to the south. let's go hatahead and take a ti line look at exactly what you can expect as you make your way out the door. the majority of that san francisco area by about 10:30, which is when a lot of people might be finally waking up, maybe you had plans to be out somewhere near the north bay or san francisco area. you can start seeing this track down where you see the pockets of the red and the orange, that's where the heaviest rainfall is expected. but as you can see, this is going to start inching a lot closer to san jose, so let's push it forward to about 2:30. the majority of that rainfall is already moving into around walnut creek area and in san jose as well. so, by about maybe noon, 1:00 to 2:00, that's when we're going to see the best possibility of that rainfall pushing through san jose. sticking around through fremont before it makes its exit. if you have late dinner plans, you're going to see if remainder of that overcast look, those cloudy skies will remain in the forecast but by sunday, we should be seeing a combination of sun and clouds, making way for an overall pretty good sunday before we see the arrival of the second system later in the week so let's go ahead and take a look at that. over the next seven days, here's a look at what you can expect. sun and clouds, 55 degrees, monday, overcast skies. by tuesday, we're seeing another system make its return, picking up our temperatures just a bit as our front makes its way to the exit. by wednesday, those showers are expected to be in the clear. don't wash your vehicles, keep that umbrella in hand because it's not just expected for san francisco and the north bay. it's expected inland as well. that rain does continue to push on through, exiting through the region overnight. but sunday, clearing very nicely. monday, we're going to see some return of some puffier clouds, because by tuesday, that arrival of that storm system is showing radar right now in terms of rain totals, a pretty good amount. high of about 56 degrees, wednesday, those few showers are expected to possibly continue. the majority of that week, but for now, you can track the latest updates on our radar app on nbcbayarea.com. but don't go anywhere. much more ahead on "today in the bay." contvo a crackdown could be coming on those warehouses >> unfortunately, the situation in oakland was kind of the wild west. >> a crackdown could be coming on those warehouses where people live so what's next for artists who live there, many of them illegally. details coming up. ghost ship tragedy will force them to be evicted from artists in oakland fear the ghost ship tragedy will force them to be evicted from other live work spaces. "today in the bay's" joe rosato jr. shows us what some are doing to try to preserve those buildings. >> reporter: with its major shipping port and freight trains, the city of oakland has been a hot bed of heavy industry since world war ii. hundreds of old warehousesset s sit as reminders of the past. while many are still used for industry, others have become a haven for artists. >> this is a six-acre facility with about 200 people working in arts and small businesses here. >> reporter: the american steel building in west oakland is a former manufacturing plant covering two blocks that now legally provide studio space for hundreds of working artists, including artist karen cusolito, one of the founders. >> the diversity of different kinds of art being produced in oakland really means that we need an equally diverse stock of building spaces to work within. >> reporter: the tragedy at the ghost ship collective has resonated with artists like her. many are now watching the fallout as illegally operating warehouse spaces now face a city crackdown. >> from what i understand, nine studio spaces have gotten eviction notices. that is alarming. >> unfortunately, the situation in oakland was such that it was kind of the wild west. you could say the ghost ship or something like it was bound to happen eventually. >> reporter: this architect has worked for decades, helping illegally operating lived work spaces become legal. >> project that was done in 2000. >> reporter: dolen acknowledges that going legit will often drive up rents. >> there are probably many places like ghost ship out there. one of the big challenges right now, how to fix situations like that and not just evict everyone, not just close them down. >> reporter: in the wake of the ghost ship tragedy, she and others are creating a citizens' group to advise illegal warehouse operators on how to make their building safe and up to code without city involvement. >> the desire is not to take the place of the city but to sort of be -- to intervene prior to the city coming in. >> i do feel that keeping a space safe is responsibility. that needs to be taken very seriously. >> reporter: she hopes the city will strike a balance between assuring safety and preserving affordability. knowing that much of the city's underground art movement may now have to step out of the shadows. nbc bay area news. >> and much more ahead on "today in the bay." coming up, did hackers help donald trump win the election? the new allegations and the new push to find out if it really happened. and we are under a microclimate weather alert this morning. we're tracking the latest storm to hit the bay area with the help of our storm ranger on san bruno mountain. we are under a microclimate weather alert. taking a live look outside, we are under a microclimate weather alert. we are monitoring our live cameras as the next round of rain continues to make its way into the bay area. and here's a look right now at our live radar as we continue to track the storm. we have activated our storm ranger or san bruno mountain to help us stay ahead of the rain. good morning and thank you for joining us. i'm vianey arana with a look at your microclimate forecast. now we've already seen some overnight showers across the entire bay area. right now over the south bay and the tri-valley, not seeing rain yet but along the peninsula and san francisco, paired with temperatures in the 50s and the 60s, they are seeing periods of on and off rain with the majority of that rain right now focused on the north bay, but that front should be making its way from the north bay down to the south bay, and with it, we are expecting the possibility of those winds also picking up. right now, not really a major factor. however, if you are out in the higher elevation areas along santa cruz and of course north bay, you are going to see some pretty strong winds at the moment. now, if you're wondering what is storm ranger? well, it is our latest digital gadget or should i say mobile gadget that scans and gives us a higher resolution look and it can detect the latest up to date information, wind advisories, also san francisco, not really a wind advisory right now. we are tracking the possibility of seeing some pretty strong gusts but nothing is in effect in terms of any wind advisories. that storm ranger on san bruno mountain is currently at 59 degrees and is also going to keep a close eye on those storms. you can also track the latest storm details on our nbc bay area app. it helps you connect to our live doppler radar doppler radgives by hour forecast on when the rain will arrive to your neighborhood. you can also get personalized forecasts for a look outside of your window. now, switching gears, there are new developments with the oakland fire. here's a look at the 36 people who died, all of them had a unique story. the complete list of names has now been released. and it was exactly one week ago at about this time when we were learning about how bad the situation was. this morning, more answers and more heartfelt vigils. federal investigators will remain on site through the weekend. they're still searching for the cause. they did rule out a refrigerator as the source of the fire. they say there is still no evidence of arson. a special forensicins team is creating a digital map of the inside of the ware hours. meanwhile, dozens of people marched through the district last night, paying tribute to those 36 victims who died in the fire. the march marks the one-week anniversary of the devastating fire. it started with a ritual near the b.a.r.t. station. councilman leading the way says he doesn't want to see another warehouse tragedy on his watch. he is demanding answers from the city of oakland while the community wants to make sure people don't forget. >> even though we don't know who you are, even that we don't know personally, each one of you, but we love you. >> councilman tells us that before last friday's fire, the city was looking at hiring people to fill positions within the fire department to inspect places like the ghost ship warehouse, but it had been put on the back burner. and hundreds of people gathered across oakland to honor the 36 people who died. there were songs filled with love and bubbles, symbolizing hope at the oakland museum last night. here's "today in the bay's" chuck coppola. >> i want to extend strength and courage to the artist community. >> reporter: several hundred people observed a moment of silence for the 36 fire victims, then blew bubbles as tiny prayers and thoughts of loved ones lost. >> i don't know that there's a person here at the museum who doesn't know someone, either directly impacted or one degree of separation. it's a small community. many of our staff members are artists. we did have staff and former staff members there that evening. luckily, they got out. >> reporter: one who did not get out safely, alex, whose videos were part of an exhibition at the museum that concluded just six weeks ago. a wooden installation shared insights about the victims. >> i think it's a beautiful thing that oakland's coming together to support the community. you know, what happened was a tragic event. and the fact that the community just seems so together and strong is a beautiful thing. >> reporter: at oakland's first congregation church, the pacific boy choir academy dedicated tonight's performance in memory of former choir member 17-year-old draven mcgill. >> draven did not enough time. he's the youngest one and it's not fair. sung his heart out and loved his fellow singers in our choir. >> there's a lot of raw emotion, anger that's coming out of this moment too, and i'm hoping that the artistic community, the cultural community, the city can come together to really see how do we sustain and support our artists and our artist community moving forward. >> and again, that was chuck copola reporting and a programming note. we are hosting an nbc bay area special tonight on the oakland fire. we investigate the loopholes and oversights surrounding this warehouse and we profile many of the people who died. it begins tonight at 6:30. and in other news, u.s. intelligence agencies have concluded that russia acted secretly to hurt hillary clinton's chances in the election. investigators say one of the details that led them to the conclusion was evidence that russian hackers also broke into the rnc's computers, but nothing from that hack was ever released. president obama wants any and all evidence of russian influence made public and has ordered a full review of any election-related hacking. president-elect donald trump is calling for the country to move on. and much more ahead on "today in the bay." coming up, the giants introduce their new big money player. but can he be the savior? sports is next. heavy, labored breathing heavy, labored breathing heavy, labored breathing coughing breathing through oxygen mask breathing through oxygen mask breathing through oxygen mask breathing through oxygen mask covered california. it's more than just health care. it's life care. stand back, ya hear! breakout the syrup because denny's new fluffier, tastier, better rudolph pancakes are here for the holidays. got their guy. the giants needed to find a closer this off season, and they got their guy. friday, mark melancon officially introduced as the newest member of the orange and black. afterwards, comcast caught up with the newest giants and had this one-on-one. >> joined by mark melancon. mark, i think we know exactly why you were the right fit for them. why was san francisco the right fit for you? >> well, it was, you know, they're all about winning, and just being on the other side, you felt like they've always had something going on that's good. and coming here and visiting with the front office and talking to some of the guys that have played here and that currently play here, it was like this is -- this is exactly what i'm looking for. >> what were some exact impressions being on the other side? you get to throw to buster now. you have brandon crawford behind you, joe panic, a line of full veterans, a big rotation. what did you think facing these guys? . >> oh, gosh, you have to bring your a game if you're facing the giants. so, being able to come on their side and be with them, that was beautiful. >> you do have a -- a four-year deal here. i know you came here in november and you've been here in the past as a player. getting a chance today to kind of walk around the ballpark and meet the organization, what did that tell you about the decision you made? >> it seems like everybody's been here for 20 years, and that's just such a positive sign, you know? people aren't looking to go. they're looking to come and stay. and just brings kind of a close knit group for the whole organization. there's a lot of fluidity throughout, and it's really a good sign of a quality organization. and much more ahead on "today in the bay." coming up, the bay area is under a microclimate weather alert. we have activated our storm ranger on san bruno mountain to help us track the rain. we're back with the full forecast next. [burke] at farmers, we've seen almost everything, so we know how to cover almost anything. even a rodent ride-along. [dad] alright, buddy, don't forget anything! [kid] i won't, dad... [captain rod] happy tuesday morning! captain rod here. it's pretty hairy out on the interstate.traffic is literally crawling, but there is some movement on the eastside overpass. getting word of another collision. [burke] it happened. december 14th, 2015. and we covered it. talk to farmers. we know a thing or two because we've seen a thing or two. ♪ we are farmers. bum-pa-dum, bum-bum-bum-bum ♪ we continue to track a soggy weekend ahead. if you're just now waking up, we are under a microclimate weather alert and what that means is we're keeping a close eye on a front that is expected to push through the majority of the bay area through the remainder of your morning. right now, taking a live look over the south bay, the peninsula and the tri-valley, three different pictures in our microclimate weather alert climate forecast and that's because the north bay, and also along the peninsula has been seeing some rain since the overnight hours. the east bay not getting any rain just yet but we are expecting this front to continue to push through. not really affecting our temperatures. we should remain in those 50s and 60s for the majority of the day. also, right now, our wind speeds, not a major concern, except for the higher elevation areas are expecting to see some stronger gusts right now over the santa cruz mountains and out near napa at about 16, 18 miles per hour. with this storm system, we have activated our storm ranger and if you're wondering what that is, it's this mobile truck that we can actually place anywhere in the bay area. nobody else has this. we are the only ones and it gives us a closer look and a higher resolution look at exactly how much rainfall, where they are getting hit the hardest and at exactly how much rainfall we can expect in terms of the resolution we are expecting to see more rain pop up in the green at about 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. and the majority of that rainfall will be sitting over san francisco, pushing down to the south bay by about 11:00. but really, we're just expecting rain throughout the 2:00, 3:00, 4:00 hour, we're also expecting those temperatures to not really drop by much. here's a live look at the satellite radar. majority of it's sitting off to the north bay and as it moves on through, santa cruz seeing a lot of rain but san jose sitting in that rain shadow but not for long. we are tracking the movement of that front as it pushes down so it's important to remember that if you are going to be hitting the road, make sure to take some extra time because it gets really, really crazy on the roads, especially in the north bay and san francisco. of course there's a lot of water build-up on the roadways so slow down and take your time out there. this is actually where storm ranger is sitting right now. and as you can see, it is highlighting a lot of green activity just over the north bay and of course san francisco, where you see the pockets of that yellow, that is actually where the strongest rainfall amounts are. now, estimated rain totals over the next 72 hours, parts of the north bay have already seen over 1 inch of rain and as we push down through palo alto, san jose, sitting in that rain shadow so we're not expecting as much rain in the south bay but we are expecting a pretty good amount by the time this storm system purks through so let's go ahead and hour by hour future cast forecast. by about 7:30 a.m., it's still sitting at that north bay area but looking ahead to about 10:00, 11:00, that's when we have our best chance of seeing some heavier downpours, san francisco, napa, down near walnut creek, also where you see that yellow and orange, that's where they're going to be seeing the heaviest of the rainfall. so like i said f you don't have to be on the roads, please stay indoors and keep that umbrella in hand. moving ahead to 3:00 as that storm system pushes down through the south, making its way, walnut creek will still see a lot of rainfall but by 5:30, san francisco clearing out, all these areas that were covered with a lot of rainfall are going to just start seeing overcast skies, tharkd carry over into sunday's forecast, not expecting a lot of rain on sunday, but overall, over the next seven days, we're going to see a change in the trend. and that change is going to come in the form of some sun and clouds on sunday, 55 degrees, by monday, overcast skies yet again at about 54 degrees and monday night, heading into tuesday, we're seeing a second system arrive and that's going to bring the possibility of more rain in the bay area. so if you like the rain, this is going to be a good week for you. if you don't like being on the roads for the rain, then you may want to stay off the roads, at least when you can. i know a lot of us have to head to work. by wednesday, those showers remain in the forecast and the temperatures not too cold during the day, our highs hitting about 58 degrees, into sunday, 57, and overnight lows are going to remain nice and chilly, anywhere between 40 and 30 in the higher elevation areas but you can track our live radar updates on our website, nbcbayarea.com. we'll have more coming up after the break. and we are taking a live look outside as we are expecting rain to make for a soggy saturday across the bay area. make sure to keep that umbrella in hand. and friday marked one week since that warehouse caught fire, and we still don't know the cause, but we do know about the 36 people who lost their lives. so the question remains, who's responsible for this tragedy? while the fire itself was an accident, there's mounting evidence the dance party was hosted without permits and the warehouse hadn't been inspected in years. here's senior investigative reporter vicky nguyen. >> until houin the hours and da the fire, we expanded our coverage. what did the city know about it? why didn't inspectors take action sooner? here's a look at what we've uncovered so far. >> i'm with the fire captain here. >> owner max orr was one of the last to leave the ghost ship warehouse alive. >> the ceiling was on fire and there is a sheet -- it was like a sheet of fire that was just rolling towards the door. the power cut out and it was pitch black. >> reporter: hours after the infer no erupted, we obtained government records showing the space should have only been used as a warehouse. part of the building was rented out for secret all-night dance parties, and government inspectors had been receiving complaints about the warehouse for years. >> you had people from alameda county confirm what our investigative unit reported hours ago which is that this very facility was under investigation by the city of oakland. >> reporter: we learned building inspectors were at the warehouse just two weeks before the fire but when a fence kept them from entering, they left and didn't return until after the fatal fire erupted. >> we had received recent complaints about lights and unpermitted construction at the property. we had opened an investigation and that investigation is ongoing. >> reporter: building inspectors weren't the only ones who missed a chance to get inside. fire inspectors had not checked the warehouse in at least ten years. >> they go out into the community to investigate buildings. our investigation shows that that effort has long been criticized. >> reporter: oakland says it has 12,000 commercial buildings in the city but a recent report found inspectors only checked about half of those buildings and we discovered the ghost ship warehouse wasn't even on the city's master list. >> multiple police officers, firefighters that have, like, came through our space and have been, like, this place is amazing. >> am i the man who should be held accountable? >> reporter: derek was the leaseholder of the converted warehouse. he says he subleased the building to 20 others. >> it didn't start off as our home. it started off as an initial dream, an idea that we would have a facility and a venue that would host. >> reporter: documents obtained by the investigative unit reveal he had a restraining order filed against him for allegedly assaulting a party promoter. no charges were ever filed. >> i am incredibly sorry and that everything that i did was to make this a stronger, more beautiful community. >> reporter: and what about the building owner? how did the ghost ship turn into a packed living space and remain off the grid for at least three years? >> we spoke with the daughter and the son-in-law of the owners. >> reporter: we found records showing the city cited the owner for multiple code violations at the lot next to the ghost ship warehouse. the city notified him of sub standard or hazardous or injurious conditions on the property at least four times over the past decade. the city also filed liens against the property to cover the cost of that clean-up and more than a dozen others since the 1980s. no one from the ang family would speak on camera but told us, our condolences go out to the family and friends of those injured and those who lost their lives. we found another space nicknamed the death trap. records show past complaints about the lack of smoke detectors and a complaint from five years ago about alterations without required permits that still pending. still, as recently as this halloween, promoters were advertising a party at the death trap. >> some people are accusing the city of turning a blind eye, knowing that these warehouses exist and not doing anything about them. who say you? >> that's part of why we absolutely need the investigation, because what we don't get now is did the incident not get reported up to the next people to respond? or was it reported and not responded to? >> reporter: city council woman now calling for an investigation into the mayor and the city's inspection process. >> what are you going to do about this? >> definitely, i think this is a priority in terms of making sure what is it that we need to enforce our codes. did the city of oakland drop the ball on this? >> i think by the enforcement, we did. >> reporter: our investigation doesn't stop here. in the coming weeks, we will continue to hold the powerful accountable. for the investigative unit, i'm vicky nguyen. and a programming note. we are hosting an nbc bay area special tonight about this fire. we investigate how the tragedy unfolded and profile the people who died. that's tonight at 6:30. meanwhile, a high-profile bay area ceo is leading the charge to end homelessness in san francisco. sales force says it's committed to helping 800 families find housing in the next few years. there's currently a six-month waiting list for families to receive housing assistance in san francisco. sales force ceo and his wife have pledged to match up to $10 million to help these families. if you would like to help, we have the link posted on our website, nbcbayarea.com. and don't go anywhere. much more ahead on "today in the bay." it's our "clear the shelters" segment, featuring our friends from pets in need. we'll introduce you to leah and vader. that's coming up next. friends from "pets in need." welcome back. our "clear the shelters" segment, featuring our friends from pets in need, executive director al with alexandra. they have bright leia and vader, right? we've got kitties for christmas. >> we do. we still have a bunch of kittens back at the shelter, actually. they came in a litter of four. all of them are still available. >> so are these -- they're brothers or they're related? >> vader's a boy, leia's a girl and they're related and they have two other sisters. >> so typically, would you suggest kittens for families with small children? >> they're a good start. kittens are pretty reliable. i mean, they're friendly. they're fun to play with. they got some long nails >> also, would you suggest having them both go together to one family home? >> if people don't already have cats, i would suggest together. they play together, teach each other manners and they're actually nicer to your human family members when there's two. >> for somebody who's never had a pet and is debating between a cat and a dog, what would you say are the big differences between caring for the two? >> cats are more easy going. you can leave them alone if you work a lot. they're a little bit easier to leave for a lot of hours. >> more independent, right? >> dogs, you definitely need to be there, make sure you're taking them out to go to the bathroom, getting a lot of stimulation. >> and i understand you have a special adoption rate for the month. tell me about that. >> we do. we have -- we're having a $31 adoption rate for the entire month in honor of, you know, 31 days of holidays. >> what does that include? >> includes everything. all of our animals are spayed and neutered and microchipped and vaccinated so it's the whole package and we'll cut deals for people if they're interested in taking leia and vader or two for one. >> you can find out more on petsinneed.org. thank you so much for joining us on "today in the bay." also you can check the weather app and make sure to tune in tonight at 5:00, 6:00, and 11:00 on nbc today. have a great morning. josh: today on the voyager, we visit a traditional weaver in her village. angela: this is a textile made from henequen fiber. josh: and learn all about the native mexican fiber called henequen. watch a mayan cacao ceremony. and find out all about the first hot chocole. wow, it tastes nothing like chocolate. then later, try out tortilla making. this is hard. she thinks i'm funny. my name is josh garcia. ever since i was a kid i dreamt about traveling the world by ocean, immersing myself in new cultures and exploring nature's wonders. now i'm making that dream a reality.