OAKLAND FIRE REPORT FROM THE SCENE - Page 4

SahmIam · ‎04-16-2010

I know people want to come down hard on the city and county (and yes, they should pay) but I really don't want the OWNER of the building to not be held accountable.

I own rentals. I managed rentals for 15 years; you know EXACTLY what is going on in, on and around your property. This chick owns a LOT of rental properties. She chose to look the other way for years in order to collect her money and get the tax benefits. Do I think money crossed the palms of city officials/employees? Possibly. I don't know. In my area, you'd be stupid to do that but in the city....it's been shown over and over again that it happens, so anything is possible in Oakland.

Arson? Geez, if that's the truth, then someone is looking at life in prison.

The lack of responsibility rests of the shoulders of many. I sincerely hope that ALL of them are brought to justice but as we've seen many times before... money and position often talks and those with it... walk. But time will time.

sidsmom · ‎11-25-2011

I don't understand how people are blaming the city, etc.

Doesn't matter how many 'CONDEMNED', 'DO NOT ENTER' signs

are posted, people will live in squaller. Unless the building is actual

torn down, the homeless will continue to 'live' there.

I read where inspectors visited the site late November, but no one answered & inspection had to be delayed. I'm sure once a citation is given, a certain period of time is given to the owner to fix, then inspectors have to come out again. The whole process can take weeks/months. If the owner fixes something to bring the building up to code, there's nothing can be done...especially since it's just a warehouse.

goldensrbest · ‎03-10-2010

Exactly, it was a warehouse, not to be lived in, yes the owner is to blame also.

When you lose some one you L~O~V~E, that Memory of them, becomes a TREASURE.

sidsmom · ‎11-25-2011

@goldensrbest wrote:
Exactly, it was a warehouse, not to be lived in, yes the owner is to blame also.

The City & Inspectors are guided by the parameters of the Law.

If someone wishes to break the Law (owner, renter, residents),

then it shouldn't be the City's fault. If the owner knew of residents,

they are 100% responsible. The police can not guard this

building 24/7...it's up to the owner to hire private security

to prevent squallors from residing in this building.

Every city has abandoned houses/buildings/warehouses where

the homeless 'reside' just for shelter. The police can raid the building

and disperse the 'residents' & cite the owner for illegal activities on their property, but once the police are out of sight...they return to reside.

Again, unless the building is torn down, living in illegal buildings is a very common problem in many, many cities around the world.

Kachina624 · ‎03-10-2010

@goldensrbest wrote:
That place was a fire trap, i simply do not think the city did what they should had done, i feel the blame for this is there.

@goldensrbest Absolutely! There is no excuse for this building to have been housing residents and having musical events. It's apparent a blind eye was turned in its direction. I heard this morning from the mouth of a fire official that there is a fire station one block from the building. They didn't know what was going on there? This is the sort of thing that happens in third world countries. Apparently everyone was waiting for someone else to fix it. This is a disgrace for the City of Oakland!

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment

SahmIam · ‎04-16-2010

The county can condemn a property and have it sealed. This was not done. Why? The number of complaints, the number of violations and there is proof that people were living in it as well as it being used for artist exhibits and business (2 articles stated that). The city could have served papers to the landlord and entered; the could have entered with permission from the landlord as it was NOT a private dwelling but a warehouse.... they did not.

Again, the landlord is the one that I hold the most contempt for but the city and the officials turned a blind eye and did nothing to prevent this from happening despite the overwhelming evidence that a warehouse was illegally being used as a commune and as a place of business. That is being negligent, in my opinion.Does it carry the same weight as the actions of the slumlord? No. Should they shoulder some of the responsibility? Yes.

Just as city officials stand by and let a meth lab continue to operate or business that is operating as a drug den when they have overwhelming evidence that it exists.Why? Depends on who you talk to....

It could have been prevented; that's what angers me.

sidsmom · ‎11-25-2011

Of course the Fire Station didn't know what was going in.

The building didn't have fire alarms or fire sprinklers.

By the time it was known, it was too late.

I can't help but think of those houses I see on "Hoarders"

with this Oakland situation. Inspectors are always saying

'firefighters won't be able to help you if it catches fire.'

ETA: For those folks trying to blame the City, obviously you don't know the laws & city codes. For good people, the law can be a godsend; for the bad folks, they can work it in their favor. Meaning, if the City cites something today, it allows me to fix but for the law breaker, it just gives them more time to avade the arrest. It's looking at it half full or half empty. For as many city structures that are blantly inhabitable, there are 3x as many riiiiight on the edge of legal inhabitable. Police/City can't govern all those buildings.

Firefighters who responded to Friday’s blaze described the interior as a labyrinth. And an Oakland building official said organizers of the warehouse concert never obtained a permit for the event, preventing city workers from inspecting exits, fire extinguishers and other vital safety features.

SahmIam · ‎04-16-2010

Can the families go after the concert organizers as well? There's enough blame and "WTF were you thinking?!" to go around, it appears.

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

A woman was interviewed this morning who said she had lived there two years ago because the rent was cheap and all she could afford at the time.

If that's true, it puts a different spin on responsibility, imo.

Noel7 · ‎03-09-2010

@SahmIam wrote:
Can the families go after the concert organizers as well? There's enough blame and "WTF were you thinking?!" to go around, it appears.

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@SahmIam

The report I saw didn't sound as if it was organized, just a new band wanting to get some exposure. I haven't heard if they had left by the time the fire started or not.