The death toll from a fire at a warehouse dance party in California has risen to 36, and officials have said it is likely to increase further as crews search more of the building.

In an update on Monday, officials said they had positively identified the bodies of at least 11 people and informed their families. They have not determined the cause of the fire, and said they had to temporarily suspend the search for more victims as the building was "wobbly" and "could collapse".

They added they were preparing to open a criminal probe in association with the incident.

On Sunday afternoon, Alameda County Sheriff’s Sgt Ray Kelly said victims ranged in age from teenagers to people older than 30.

The death toll is expected to rise further (AP)

He said authorities had used fingerprints to identify 17-year-olds among the victims and that some of the dead were from Asia and Europe.

Fire Battalion Chief Melinda Dayton said that her team had worked through the night in a “mindful, thoughtful and compassionate” way.

“This will be a long and arduous process, but we want to make sure we are respecting the victims and their families and firefighter safety,” she said, according to the Associated Press.

The news agency said that a fire ripped through the warehouse structure on Friday night.

The site was an artist workspace that doubled as an illegal dwelling for a rotating cast of a dozen or more residents.

Former residents said it was also a death trap with few exits, a rickety makeshift staircase and a labyrinth of electrical cords.

“If you were not familiar with the building and the way that it was, if you were going there for a party, you wouldn’t be aware of the maze that you have to go through to get out,” said Danielle Boudreaux, a former friend of the couple who ran the warehouse.

Ms Boudreaux identified the operators of the collective as Derick Ion Almena and Micah Allison.

The couple charged tenants enough to cover the warehouse rent and used proceeds from parties to pay their own living expenses, Ms Boudreaux said.

On Saturday, the artist retreat had turned into a scene of horrors, with the 4,000-square-foot structure burnt to rubble.

The building's roof collapsed into the second floor, which in places fell to the bottom floor. Firefighters had to temporarily stop their search and rescue operations Saturday when they became too dangerous, taking time to shore up the structure.