St Michael’s Hospice has been handed a substantial fine for breaching fire safety law, as part of an investigation into the devastating fire in 2015.

At a court hearing today (Wednesday, March 28), the charity received a £250,000 fine after pleading guilty earlier this month to two breaches in fire safety laws.

The breaches were of Articles 8(1)(a) and 8(1)(b) of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005. These charges relate to the hospice’s overall failure to take general fire precautions to ensure the safety of its employees and non-employees. The hospice pleaded not guilty to 11 other breaches.

In a joint statement released after the judge's decision, chair of St Michael’s Hospice Irene Dibben and chief executive Karen Clarke said:“We remain truly sorry for the pain and anguish caused by the fire. We also share the pain of our own staff and volunteers, many of whom are still coming to terms with the full devastation of the fire.

“We need to decide as an organisation the best way to settle the fine. In light of this, there will be no further comment at this stage.”

A pre-inquest review - due to be held in May - is set to look into the deaths of three people who died in the days following the hospice fire in 2015. A man was later charged with arson with intent to endanger life. The terminally-ill man, who was a patient at the hospice at the time of the fire, died days before the court case. No further charges are being brought by the police.

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Mark Andrews said: “Fire safety in hospices, care homes or any similar property that provide rest, care or accommodation for vulnerable people is critical. The law is there to protect the residents and staff from the effects of fires and in this case the fire safety provision fell well below the standard expected in such a property where residents would otherwise expect to be safe.

"We now hope this serves as a reminder to people responsible for the housing and care of vulnerable people of the importance of fire safety measures in their buildings."

According to East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (ESFRS), Judge Henson described the failures in fire safety as 'obvious and avoidable' during the Lewes Crown Court hearing.

ESFRS say she went onto describe how the fire 'ruthlessly exposed the failures', such as locked doors, lack of evacuation training and equipment, and holes in the ceiling which allowed smoke to spread throughout the building.

She added that a mock evacuation and basic training would have helped identify some of these deficiencies, and it shouldn’t have taken a fire to highlight these issues, ESFRS say.

An ESFRS spokesman said: "The Judge emphasised that Hospice care must extend to keeping patients safe from fire risk and the charitable status of the Hospice cannot dilute the requirements for fire safety. The burden of compliance lies with the Hospice, which it should have been aware of since the Fire Safety Order has been around for over a decade and therefore it cannot pass responsibility to others."

For more information on the court case go to: https://www.hastingsobserver.co.uk/news/st-michael-s-hospice-pleads-guilty-to-two-breaches-in-fire-safety-laws-1-8404735 </s> Image caption The hospice has been rebuilt since the fire nearly three years ago

A hospice where three residents were killed by a fire has been fined £250,000 for its "woefully inadequate" safety measures.

The blaze at St Michael's Hospice in St Leonards, East Sussex, led to the evacuation of 23 people.

But, Hove Crown Court heard, staff were ill-trained to deal with such an event, and the main fire exit was locked.

Judge Christine Henson, who slammed the hospice's safety measures, also ordered it to pay £165,000 in costs.

Managers at the hospice admitted two fire safety breaches, and its denial of 11 other indictments was accepted by the court.

'State of panic'

Pearl Spencer, 78, Jill Moon, 62, and David Denness, 81, died in hospital after suffering smoke inhalation.

Patient Rodney Smith, 67, was charged with arson after the fire on 11 July 2015 but died in jail before his trial.

In pre-sentence reports for the prosecution, Mr Sailesh Mehta said it was clear that staff had "no appropriate training for the evacuation of residents, holes in the ceilings allowed smoke to spread, locked exit doors could not be readily opened".

He said the main fire exit was locked, and there was no proper evacuation training for staff.

"Nurses were in a state of panic - they tried to stop it [the fire] with towels to no avail.

"Some patients had to be put on a small filing cabinet to wheel them along as there were not enough wheelchairs available," he said.

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In its defence, the hospice said it was unaware of the defects "ruthlessly exposed" by the fire, and it accepted "blameworthiness for failing to make the premises as safe as it should have been".

Court proceedings were brought by East Sussex Fire Authority in May last year.

Image caption Twenty-three elderly patients, some of whom were terminally ill, and nine members of staff were in the hospice

The hospice said the fine would be paid from reserves and costs from elsewhere.

It was reduced by 30% due to St Michael's charitable status.

Mr Smith was a terminally ill patient at the hospice when the blaze broke out.

Twenty-three elderly patients, some of whom were terminally ill, and nine members of staff were forced to leave the building.

Ten residents had to be taken to hospital for treatment.

In a statement on Wednesday, chair of the hospice Irene Dibben, and chief executive Karen Clarke said: "We remain truly sorry for the pain and anguish caused by the fire.

"We also share the pain of our own staff and volunteers, many of whom are still coming to terms with the full devastation of the fire.

"We need to decide as an organisation the best way to settle the fine. In light of this, there will be no further comment at this stage." </s> A hairdresser handed a life sentence for deliberately trying to infect 10 men with HIV has been branded a “menace to society” by his final victim.

Daryll Rowe (27), was told he must serve at least 12 years in jail after he became the first man in UK to be found guilty of intentionally setting out to spread the virus.

Speaking to the Press Association following the sentence, his final victim, who was not infected, revealed Rowe had told him he was bisexual.

The victim said: “As long as he has strength in his body, he will be a risk. He is a menace to society. He is a sociopath because I don’t think he has any regard for other people’s feelings.”

Rowe’s six-week trial heard he launched a deliberate campaign to infect gay men he met on dating app Grindr after being diagnosed in April 2015 in his home city of Edinburgh, refusing treatment and ignoring advice from doctors.

He had sex with eight of them in Brighton, East Sussex, between October that year and February 2016, before fleeing to the northeast where he went on the run from police, targeting two more victims.

He insisted on having unprotected sex with men, claiming he was “clean”. When they refused, he tampered with condoms, tricking them into thinking he was practising safe sex.

Afterwards he would become aggressive and taunt them by text, telling one: “I have HIV. Lol. Whoops!”

Rowe told jurors he believed he had been cured of the virus by the time he moved to Brighton, having adopted the practice of drinking his own urine as a treatment, supplemented with natural remedies, including oregano, coconut and olive leaf oils.

But he was convicted of 10 charges – five of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and five of attempting to do so.

Sentencing him at Brighton Crown Court on Wednesday, Judge Christine Henson QC said: “Given the facts of this case and your permissive predatory behaviour, I cannot see when you would no longer be a danger to gay men.”

Rowe, wearing a grey suit and open-collared white shirt, showed no emotion as statements from nine of his 10 victims were read out.

“They describe living with a life sentence as a result of your cruel and senseless acts,” said the judge. “Many of those men were young men in their 20s at the time they had the misfortune to meet you.”

Victims told how they had considered suicide having suffered physical and psychological damage, needing to take daily medication.

Rowe’s first victim, who was diagnosed with HIV in January 2016, said: “Daryll has destroyed my life. I would rather he had murdered me than left me to live my life like this.”

Another, whose parents died of Aids when he was a child, said he “did everything” to prevent himself catching the virus.

“Daryll Rowe decided to take that right away from me. A part of me died that day when I was diagnosed. The old me is no longer. The new me is constantly sad, thinking about how my life changed.

“I have been devastated by Rowe’s actions but I want to make sure that this doesn’t happen to anyone else.” – Press Association </s> A hairdresser has been handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 12 years at Brighton crown court after deliberately trying to infect 10 men with HIV.

Daryll Rowe, 27, from Brighton, showed no emotion as he was sentenced for five charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and five of attempting to do so.

After being diagnosed in April 2015 in his home city of Edinburgh, Rowe met men on gay dating app Grindr and had sex with eight of them in Brighton, East Sussex, between October that year and February 2016, before fleeing to the north-east where he went on the run from police, targeting two more men.

His six-week trial heard he embarked on a cynical and deliberate campaign to infect men with HIV, refusing treatment and ignoring advice from doctors.

He insisted on having unprotected sex with men, claiming he was “clean”. When they refused, he tampered with condoms, tricking them into thinking he was practising safe sex.

Afterwards Rowe would become aggressive and taunted some of the men in text messages. He repeatedly lied to authorities and would use aliases with his victims.

Judge Christine Henson QC, sentencing, referred to his crimes as a “determined hateful campaign of sly violence”.

“You are the first individual to be sentenced for section 18 offences in the context of infecting others with HIV,” she said.

“With the full knowledge of the risk you posed to others and the legal implications of engaging in risky sexual practices, you embarked on a deliberate campaign to infect other men with the HIV virus.

“Unfortunately for five of the men you met your campaign was successful.”

The judge added: “They describe living with a life sentence as a result of your cruel and senseless acts. Many of those men were young men in their 20s at the time they had the misfortune to meet you.

“Given the facts of this case and your permissive predatory behaviour I cannot see when you would no longer be a danger to gay men.

“In my judgment the offences, taken together, are so serious, that a life sentence is justified. You will potentially remain a danger to others for the rest of your life.” </s> A pilot who flew at the Cotswold Air Show is facing criminal charges as a result of the Shoreham Air Show crash, which killed 11 people.

Andrew Hill, 53, will be charged with manslaughter by gross negligence, and endangering an aircraft under air navigation laws, the Crown Prosecution Service has announced, the Mirror reports.

Hill worked for Ultimate High, a stunt flying team which was based at Cotswold Airport until 2012 and flew in a display at the 2011 Cotswold Air Show.

During his display at Shoreham in 2015, his Hawker Hunter jet crashed into the A27 on August 22, 2015, sending a fireball across the busy West Sussex road.

The then 52-year-old was performing a loop-the-loop stunt when the crash happened. He was seriously injured but survived the tragedy.

In a statement this evening, families of those killed welcomed news of the charge, more that two-and-a-half years after the crash.

The victims were Maurice Abrahams, 76, Dylan Archer, 42, Tony Brightwell, 53, Matthew Grimstone, 23, Matt Jones, 24, Graham Mallinson, 72, Daniele Polito, 23, Mark Reeves, 53, Jacob Schilt, 23, Richard Smith, 26, and Mark Trussler, 54.

Simon Ringrose, of the CPS special crime division, announced the news to families of the victims at a private meeting in Lewes, East Sussex, on Wednesday evening.

In a statement he said: "Following a careful review of the evidence I have found there is sufficient evidence to charge Andrew Hill with the manslaughter by gross negligence of the 11 men who died.

"I have also authorised a further charge against Mr Hill of endangering an aircraft, contrary to Article 137 of the Air Navigation Order 2009."

There was no sign of Hill at his country home in Sandon, Hertfordshire, on Wednesday but the Press Association understands he was informed of the charges by phone and will be formally notified by post.

Hill, who turns 54 on Thursday, is due to appear before Westminster Magistrates' Court on April 19.

He will be charged with 11 counts of manslaughter by gross negligence, an offence which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, and one count of endangering an aircraft, which can incur a jail term of up to five years, the CPS said.

Hill was questioned for the first time by police in December 2015 under caution after voluntarily attending an interview but was not arrested.

A pre-inquest review is due to take place on Monday and the full inquest was expected to take place in September.

This will now be postponed until the criminal proceedings are concluded.

James Healy-Pratt, Partner and Head of Aviation at law firm Stewarts, speaking on behalf of families bereaved by the Shoreham Air Show crash, said: “Eleven innocent victims lost their lives at the Shoreham Airshow in the Summer of 2015. The Official Aviation Safety Investigation has revealed a catalogue of failures and identified a chain of causes, that resulted in the worst British aviation disaster this century.

“Whilst it is widely accepted that air safety is not improved by either a blame culture or criminal prosecution, the important concept of a Just Culture remains.

"‘Just Culture’ is where front-line operators and others are not punished for actions, omissions or decisions taken by them which are commensurate with their experience and training, but where gross negligence, wilful violations and destructive acts are not tolerated.

“The decision to charge the pilot Andy Hill is consistent with just culture as understood in the aviation world.

"This also means that the Coroner’s Inquest will be adjourned pending the outcome of that criminal process, and that the Families will have to wait until 2019 until there is a realistic chance of closure of all these judicial processes.” </s> The pilot whose plane crashed during the 2015 Shoreham Airshow disaster is to stand trial at the Old Bailey over the deaths of 11 men.

Andrew Hill, 54, of Sandon, Hertfordshire, faces 11 counts of manslaughter by gross negligence and one count of recklessly or negligently endangering an aircraft under air navigation laws.

He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday for a 14-minute hearing during which he confirmed his name, date of birth and address, and indicated a not-guilty plea to all charges.

He will be expected to formally enter pleas at the Old Bailey next month.

Prosecutor Simon Ringrose confirmed the crash happened when Hill's vintage Hawker Hunter jet plunged into traffic on the A27 dual carriageway in West Sussex while trying to execute a loop-the-loop manoeuvre on August 22 nearly three years ago.

The 11 men who died were wedding chauffeur Maurice Abrahams, 76, from Brighton; retired engineer James Mallinson, 72, from Newick, near Lewes; window cleaner and builder Mark Trussler, 54, from Worthing; cycling friends Dylan Archer, 42, from Brighton, and Richard Smith, 26, from Hove; NHS manager Tony Brightwell, 53, from Hove; grandfather Mark Reeves, 53, from Seaford; Worthing United footballers Matthew Grimstone and Jacob Schilt, both 23; personal trainer Matt Jones, 24; and Daniele Polito, 23, from Worthing.

Hill, a trained RAF instructor and fast jet pilot, was thrown clear of the aircraft as it crashed. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries and placed in an induced coma before being discharged.

Simon Spence, defending, told the court that his client was no longer flying.

As the first charge of manslaughter was put to Hill following a delay, he told the court: "I'm sorry, for various reasons I don't know anything about the charges."

After taking instruction, he indicated not-guilty pleas.

Senior district judge Emma Arbuthnot released Hill - who wore a dark suit, white shirt and blue tie - on bail.

The trial is due to last up to eight weeks. </s> A hairdresser who deliberately tried to infect 10 men with HIV has been jailed for at least 12 years.

Daryll Rowe became the first man in the country to be found guilty of intentionally setting out to spread the virus after meeting the men on gay dating app Grindr.

Branded “grotesque” and a “sociopath” by his victims, the 27-year-old was convicted in November of 10 charges - five of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and five of attempting to do so.

Rowe, wearing a grey suit and open-collared white shirt, showed no emotion as he was handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 12 years at Brighton Crown Court on Wednesday.

Judge Christine Henson QC, sentencing, referred to his crimes as a “determined hateful campaign of sly violence”.

“You are the first individual to be sentenced for Section 18 offences in the context of infecting others with HIV,” she said.

“With the full knowledge of the risk you posed to others and the legal implications of engaging in risky sexual practices, you embarked on a deliberate campaign to infect other men with the HIV virus.

“Unfortunately for five of the men you met, your campaign was successful.”

The judge continued: “They describe living with a life sentence as a result of your cruel and senseless acts.

“Many of those men were young men in their 20s at the time they had the misfortune to meet you.”

She told Rowe he poses a significant risk to the public, adding: “You will potentially remain a danger to others for the rest of your life.”

After being diagnosed in April 2015 in his home city of Edinburgh, Rowe met men on gay dating app Grindr and had sex with eight of them in Brighton, East Sussex, between October that year and February 2016, before fleeing to the North East where he went on the run from police, targeting two more victims.

His six-week trial heard he embarked on a cynical and deliberate campaign to infect men with HIV, refusing treatment and ignoring advice from doctors.

He insisted on having unprotected sex with men, claiming he was “clean”. When they refused, he tampered with condoms, tricking them into thinking he was practising safe sex.

Afterwards he would become aggressive and taunt them over text, telling one: “I have HIV. Lol. Whoops!”

Rowe repeatedly lied to authorities and would use aliases with his victims.

He told jurors he believed he had been cured of the virus by the time he moved to Brighton, having adopted the practice of drinking his own urine as a treatment, supplemented with natural remedies, including oregano, coconut and olive leaf oils.

He sat in the dock, showing no emotion during his sentencing hearing as prosecutor Caroline Carberry QC read out statements from nine of his 10 victims, which she said showed the “devastating consequences” of Rowe’s actions.

Many told how they had considered suicide having suffered physical and psychological damage, needing to take daily medication.

Rowe’s first victim told how he had considered taking his own life after he was diagnosed with HIV in January 2016.

He said: “Darryl has destroyed my life. I would rather he had murdered me than left me to live my life like this.”

One said he thought he was going to die when he found out he had the virus, while another told of the “shattering effect” it had on him and his family, believing “it was a life-long sentence, which would eventually kill me off” because of the stigma surrounding the disease.

“While for some cases of GBH it might be possible for victims to put the acts behind them, unfortunately this will never be the case for me,” said a different victim, who requires daily medication.

“There is a virus inside me which will give me a horrible and painful death unless I take pills for the rest of my life.”

The court heard a psychiatric report found Rowe’s crimes were carried out with a “significant degree of rage, control, sadism and violence”.

“This defendant is the first individual in the UK who falls to be sentenced for Section 18 offences in the context of the intentional infection of others with the HIV virus,” said the prosecutor.

“This was a deliberate campaign to infect multiple men with a serious life-threatening and life-changing disease such that it falls outside the sentences envisaged by the (sentencing) guidelines.”

Felicity Gerry QC highlighted comparable cases from around the world, urging the judge to pass a sentence that would not add to the “social stigma” of HIV, but inform the public the virus is not what it was in the 90s.

“He was a vulnerable young man in a community where the disclosure of one’s HIV status remains unusual, in the context of how he was meeting people,” she said.

“This is not a terminal illness. Those who live with HIV have good and high life expectancies.”

She added: “There really is a need for therapy and not incarceration.”

Sussex Police came under fire over claims they put gay men in danger when they released Rowe on bail, after which he continued his campaign.

Northumbria Police have been accused of wrongfully arresting and detaining one of his unsuspecting victims as he came to terms with his boyfriend’s crimes.

Rowe’s final victim blamed police for putting him at risk and said more could have been done sooner to stop Rowe’s offending.

It was 18 days after his arrest that Sussex Police and Brighton and Hove City Council urged gay men to get tested for HIV if they had been sexually involved with “a man in his 20s with a Scottish accent”.

Police appealed for anyone with information or potential victims to come forward but refused to publish his name and photo.

He was later identified by a newspaper, prompting widespread media reports. </s> Hairdresser Daryll Rowe, 27, has been handed a life sentence with a minimum term of 12 years at Brighton Crown Court after deliberately trying to infect 10 men with HIV.

Rowe became the first man in the country to be found guilty of intentionally setting out to spread the virus.

Rowe, wearing a grey suit and open-collared white shirt, showed no emotion as he was sentenced for five charges of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and five of attempting to do so.

Judge Christine Henson QC, sentencing, referred to his crimes as a "determined hateful campaign of sly violence".

"You are the first individual to be sentenced for Section 18 offences in the context of infecting others with HIV," she said

"With the full knowledge of the risk you posed to others and the legal implications of engaging in risky sexual practices, you embarked on a deliberate campaign to infect other men with the HIV virus.

"Unfortunately for five of the men you met your campaign was successful."

The judge added: "They describe living with a life sentence as a result of your cruel and senseless acts. Many of those men were young men in their 20s at the time they had the misfortune to meet you."

He faced a life sentence with an extended term for being a danger to the public when he appears at Brighton Crown Court on Wednesday.

Branded "grotesque" and a "sociopath" by his victims, the 27-year-old was convicted in October of 10 charges - five of grievous bodily harm with intent and five of attempting to do so.

After being diagnosed in April 2015 in his home city of Edinburgh, Rowe met men on gay dating app Grindr and had sex with eight of them in Brighton, East Sussex, between October that year and February 2016, before fleeing to the north east where he went on the run from police, targeting two more men.

His six-week trial heard he embarked on a cynical and deliberate campaign to infect men with HIV, refusing treatment and ignoring advice from doctors.

He insisted on having unprotected sex with men, claiming he was "clean". When they refused, he tampered with condoms, tricking them into thinking he was practising safe sex.

Afterwards Rowe would become aggressive and taunted some of the men in text messages. He repeatedly lied to authorities and would use aliases with his victims. </s> Oakland, California (CNN) After a day's worth of investigations, Oakland authorities were continuing to search for answers on Sunday regarding the fast-spreading deadly fire that engulfed a warehouse during an electronic dance concert.

They want to know about the rickety stairway. They want to know about the lack of permits. They also want to know: Could this tragedy have been avoided?

At least nine people died in the fire as scores of others escaped Friday night. But the fates of more than two dozen people were still unknown Saturday evening one day after the blaze that gutted the two-story warehouse.

Friends and family used every available tool -- phones and social media among them -- in the frantic effort to find out whether their loved ones were alive. People like 27-year-old painter Bob Mulé, who lost his friend to the fire, were left to grapple with the nightmare of that fiery night.

"I felt my skin melting," Mulé said. "I tried to save my friend but I had to leave him."

The Oakland Fire Department fears the fire may have burned up to 40 people in a structure that housed artists' studios and stored so many things that the housing department had notified property owners of violations for trash and debris.

'You could feel the heat of the flames'

"You could feel the heat of the flames," he told CNN. "Most of us were crying or unable to react. It was so hot and so terrible knowing that so many of us were still inside."

Freelance journalist Sam Lefebvre said many people were just getting there as the fire started since the dance party was supposed to go very late.

Alameda County Sheriff's Sgt. Paul Graves said 40 out of an estimated 100 people may have died. However, he cautioned that some people may have ended up at hospitals or made it out alive with friends. Later on, officials said the death toll might be in the dozens.

Initially, authorities recovered nine bodies and rushed their fingerprints to a lab in an attempt to identify the victims, an Alameda County Sheriff's Office coroner spokesman said.

Oakland Fire Chief Teresa Deloach Reed said emergency responders found most victims on the second floor given that the pallet stairway had become inacessible.

Evanofski was one of the lucky ones in a building filled with artists. His friend, who did nails, wasn't as fortunate, he said.

"She is one of the most magical people I've ever met," he said..

Calling the fire an "immense tragedy," Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf pledged to get a "full accounting" that could be shared with the public as quickly as possible.

There was another question on authorities' minds: How did the first start in the first place?

The building is a "sort of live/work art space with a lot of old decorations and furniture," Lefebvre, the freelance journalist, told CNN. Photos posted on a blog showed elaborate wooden structures inside the building before the fire. Some of them include beds and living room furniture.

Reed described the interior as one that had partitions that divided space among several artists. She said she has heard reports that some people may have been living there but it remained unclear how many people lived there.

"Inside is just a wide assortment of just ... everything. Furniture, mannequins, statues. Just a lot of stuff inside," she told CNN.

Darin Ranelletti, Oakland's interim director of planning and building, told reporters Saturday the city had only approved permits for the building to be used as a warehouse -- not for residences.

City officials also had not signed off on a special permit for the event, Ranelletti said.

Last month the warehouse property owners had received notification of code violations for hazardous trash and debris, property records show. Officials had not yet completed an investigation into a November complaint for an illegal interior building structure..

A city inspector tried to enter the warehouse November 17 but was unable to make a visual inspection inside, Ranelletti said.

In addition, firefighters found no evidence of sprinklers in the warehouse.

CNN has reached out to the property owners for comment. Johnna Watson, Oakland police spokeswoman, said the building is not deemed a crime scene but it is still early in the investigation.

'It's too unsafe' for emergency responders

To find loved ones, people used the event's Facebook page Saturday to post names of potential show attendees. For those who survived, they also shared their names to show they were safe.

Twenty-five people are unaccounted for, as reported by people who either escaped the fire or believe they knew someone who was there, Reed said.

Terry Lightfoot, a representative of Oakland's Highland Hospital, told CNN the hospital received two patients and one of them has been discharged. Lightfoot said he did not know the condition of the patient who remained hospitalized.

Firefighters have not been able to search the entire building, where the roof collapsed onto the second floor and parts continued down onto the ground level.

Crews, possibly with heavy equipment, first have to shore up walls and make sure the building is safe.

'I had to let him go'

For Bob Mulé, the warehouse wasn't just the site of a large dance party, it was both his home and his community.

Mulé told CNN more than 20 people living in the warehouse, which he described as a "collective artists' community," paid rent and were all involved in the creation of the space.

On Friday night, Mule stopped upstairs to listen to some music he described as a "very tame setting." Afterward, he headed downstairs to work on a painting. From his studio, he smelled smoke, which led him to investigate the source.

After seeing the flames, Mulé ran to find a fire extinguisher. He found one, and tried to pull the pin, but struggled mightily. After a little while, he turned back to save his camera and laptop.

At that point, Mulé spotted a fellow artist who called out for help. Mulé suspected that heavy-set artist had broken his ankle after falling from the second floor. He tried to save him.

"I was pulling him out," said Mulé, who sustained burns from the fire, later wrapped in bandages. "The flames were too much. There was too much smoke and ... I had to let him go."

More than 40 people gathered Saturday at Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland for a vigil. Organizers asked attendees to light a candle at the end of the service, saying flames caused pain and destruction "but tonight we light the flame for good and for peace."

Now, as loved ones await answers in the coming days, Mulé must wrestle with the reality of losing a friend he couldn't save and the likelihood that the official deatTheh toll may climb.
English judge Christine Henson fines St. Michael's Hospice in St. Leonards, at East Sussex, over the July 2015 fire in which three residents died.