GUILTY CA - Massive fire at Oakland warehouse party, 36 dead, 2 Dec 2016 #3

[borndem]

What an indictment against city officials -- figuratively speaking that is...

I understand the reluctance of OPD (and OFD???) to report anything if those warehouses were used by artists for working & living, but didn't they see at the least a fire almost bursting out in flames whenever they were there??

This is a tuff one. But somebody must pay. Must pay.

 

[human]

Really, until this fire and even after, there are people who hate govt intrusion. They hate the rules. They either want to be "free spirits" or they think govt is too heavy handed and has too many rules.

Officials are reluctant to do the hassles with these silly people. I can understand the the reluctance. Maybe, but I am not convinced, this tragedy will unders ore the necessity of the rules and consequently the enforcement of them

 

[CARIIS]

Here's an excellent article summarizing the recently released documents:

http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/02...reviously-cited-for-allowing-illegal-housing/



Much more at the link. It's pretty clear that Ng was aware of the illegal live/work spaces, not only at the Ghostship but at her other properties.



Yikes! Take a look at that electrical panel and the wiring:

That is worse than what I imagined - give me a break-- a 6 yr old would know that is not OK


I would not be surprised if that is the exact source of the start of this.

[video=youtube;hA-w0QAaxRU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA-w0QAaxRU[/video]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hpE5LYj-CY

 

[CARIIS]

[video=youtube;6hpE5LYj-CY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hpE5LYj-CY[/video]

 

[kshultz06082]

Marking my spot

 

[MsMarple]

More reports coming out as some docs are re-released unredacted:

At this newspaper’s request, other records that had previously been redacted were also released Tuesday, adding new details of a fight involving the art collective’s founder, Derick Almena, along with an arson investigation at the site, both in 2014.

Between mid-2014 and the deadly fire, police visited the building and associated properties nearly three dozen times, dealing with thefts, reports of child abuse, a stabbing, gun threats, drug sales, illegal housing and more.
...
Among the key police incident reports released Tuesday, the biggest revelation came from a March 1, 2015, encounter:

At 1:34 a.m., a 22-year-old woman flagged down Officer Hector Chavez to report an illegal rave with drug and alcohol sales. The woman told Chavez she went to the Ghost Ship for a private party with several friends, but when they arrived at the venue they were charged $25 at the door, according to Chavez’s report. She also told the officer that people were selling booze and a “wide variety of drugs,” including marijuana and Ecstasy, inside.

http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/02...-police-were-aware-of-problems-at-ghost-ship/
https://www.scribd.com/document/339344471/Ghostship-Illegal-Rave-Report

More at the link. IMO, the new unredacted information paints a darker picture of the GS parties and some of the shadier stuff that went on inside, like selling alcohol and Ecstasy, fights among tenants, arson, etc.

IIRC, Derick Ion rented the GS property sometime in the fall of 2013.

 

[borndem]

From MsMarple's post -- #300, above:

Yikes! Take a look at that electrical panel and the wiring:

Looking at those electric arc videos made me shudder. If something like that happened that night (highly likely, IMO) -- it wouldn't have to be anything like as big as those were -- I can see why the fire in the tinder-box-GS would have gotten very big in only seconds. Spark, sizzle, fwoop!

It was prolly like like using one lit match to light up the whole box of matches -- one spark/one arc. I would think that 90% of the items, materials, etc., in the GS were flammable -- some old dry wood floors and doors, thus making escape darn near impossible; and the furniture, pianos, carpets, mattresses, bedding, paper, paper, paper. No chance. And it could happen again in another warehouse unless they are all abandoned.

 

[borndem]

Get a load of this:

The new theory about Oakland’s deadly Ghost Ship warehouse fire that killed 36

By Kristine Phillips January 24

The leader of the Ghost Ship artist collective housed in an Oakland, Calif., warehouse has come under intense scrutiny since a massive blaze engulfed the building, killing three dozen people.

But Derick Ion Almena’s defense team, led by a prominent San Francisco lawyer, released a report Monday saying the fire did not start inside the Ghost Ship warehouse — but rather in an adjacent building. Almena’s attorneys said in a news release that their findings could rule out the possibility of criminal negligence charges against their client.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...arehouse-fire-started/?utm_term=.69489aac6b24

 

[human]

Get a load of this:


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...arehouse-fire-started/?utm_term=.69489aac6b24

Whatever. Does not eliminate the hell of the Ghost Ship

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

GMAB!

'My problematic horrible shameful embarrassingly tragic f***ing life isn't getting any easier': Couple who ran Oakland 'Ghost Ship' warehouse where 36 died in a fire complain about hardships and plead for money

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...and-Ghost-Ship-plead-money.html#ixzz4aE91eJD7

 

[CARIIS]

Get a load of this:


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...arehouse-fire-started/?utm_term=.69489aac6b24

Just electric wise this makes no sense at all!! Fires from electric can only start at the point they enter a building ??- that is just flat out stupid IMO

 

[human]

GMAB!

'My problematic horrible shameful embarrassingly tragic f***ing life isn't getting any easier': Couple who ran Oakland 'Ghost Ship' warehouse where 36 died in a fire complain about hardships and plead for money

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...and-Ghost-Ship-plead-money.html#ixzz4aE91eJD7

Ugh. I hope no one contributes. They can collect aluminum cans to recycle

 

[MsMarple]

Get a load of this:


https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...arehouse-fire-started/?utm_term=.69489aac6b24

The key words here are "Derick Ion Almena's defense team." No need to look further. Fire inspectors have never said they had evidence to support this <cough> theory. In fact, evidence so far points to the fire starting in the back of the GS on the first floor.

 

[MsMarple]

GMAB!

'My problematic horrible shameful embarrassingly tragic f***ing life isn't getting any easier': Couple who ran Oakland 'Ghost Ship' warehouse where 36 died in a fire complain about hardships and plead for money

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...and-Ghost-Ship-plead-money.html#ixzz4aE91eJD7

Have I mentioned lately that I hate this couple? My research shows they worked very little before the fire. And really, are they saying they can't find any work at all or are they simply looking for handouts?

I can't believe they got their kids back - what is wrong with CPS? Those children would have died had they been in the building that night.

As far as I'm concerned they're both nutjobs. I want to see criminal charges brought against them.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Noticed this thread bumped so I could see it and remembered that I meant to post this local story a couple of weeks ago. The "artists' space" at Detroit's Russell Street Industrial Center sounds like a "Ghost Ship" fire waiting to happen Closing the facility probably averted such a disaster. There was a lot of local media coverage on the artist center closing. If you're interested in learning more about it, just search for Russell Street Industrial Center closing.

Tenants scramble with Russell Center closing

Holly Fournier and Louis Aguilar , The Detroit News Published 12:17 a.m. ET Feb. 21, 2017 | Updated 10:14 p.m. ET Feb. 21, 2017

Confusion reigned Tuesday inside the Russell Industrial Center, the sprawling complex of artist studios and workspaces that was ordered to close after Detroit officials claimed ordinance violations and other issues.

&#8220;We&#8217;re trying to see what&#8217;s really going on, whether we have to move or not,&#8221; said 25-year-old Ferndale resident Brad Wall, who owns Wall Woodworking and rents space on the second floor. &#8220;We&#8217;re freaking out. We have no idea what&#8217;s going on.&#8221;

Notices posted Monday on every door of the former factory at 1600 Clay ordered tenants to vacate until violations were corrected. In a statement explaining their order, city officials said the owners of the center repeatedly failed to follow guidelines when erecting multiple commercial and residential tenant units.

&#8220;They have erected walls using combustible materials, illegally installed plumbing and heating systems in numerous units without the proper permits, inspections and approvals,&#8221; Detroit buildings department director David Bell said in the statement. &#8220;During a recent inspection, the smell of natural gas from the multiple illegal installations was so strong, DTE had to be immediately called to correct the leak.&#8221; ...

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...ll-industrial-center-ordered-closed/98185364/

 

[MsMarple]

Noticed this thread bumped so I could see it and remembered that I meant to post this local story a couple of weeks ago. The "artists' space" at Detroit's Russell Street Industrial Center sounds like a "Ghost Ship" fire waiting to happen Closing the facility probably averted such a disaster. There was a lot of local media coverage on the artist center closing. If you're interested in learning more about it, just search for Russell Street Industrial Center closing.

<snipped by me>

Notices posted Monday on every door of the former factory at 1600 Clay ordered tenants to vacate until violations were corrected. In a statement explaining their order, city officials said the owners of the center repeatedly failed to follow guidelines when erecting multiple commercial and residential tenant units.

“They have erected walls using combustible materials, illegally installed plumbing and heating systems in numerous units without the proper permits, inspections and approvals,” Detroit buildings department director David Bell said in the statement. “During a recent inspection, the smell of natural gas from the multiple illegal installations was so strong, DTE had to be immediately called to correct the leak.” ...

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...ll-industrial-center-ordered-closed/98185364/

RSBM

While learning about nightclub fires I was shocked by how many were caused by a combination of combustible materials and no fire sprinklers. Of the 10 listed on Wiki that were in the U.S., 6 listed flammable material as contributing factors, either as decoration or soundproofing foam that did not meet fire standards. 3 were due to arson and one was caused by someone leaving a burning pipe in a checked jacket.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nightclub_fires

It looks like the Detroit warehouse you linked to has the same problems as the GS. A glassblower has space in it - he uses what was called a red-hot furnace! The owner is a development company who also owns a lot of other old, empty buildings that his group plans to turn into affordable housing.

I'm not accusing the Detroit developer of anything criminal, but just to share a little information in general terms, owners/developers sometimes plan to develop or construct a building but it never is completed. Sometimes half-finished developments go into bancruptcy. It's not unusual since it takes a lot of money to end up with a well-built property.

However, some developers (again, this is just a general statement not aimed at anyone) manage to secure millions of dollars in bank loans and pay themselves handsome salaries, so even if the bank takes the property they still made a good living. I saw this several times in Miami. In one case the owner did go to Federal prison, but only because he got greedy and didn't pay any income tax on his multi millions salary for several years. Otherwise he could have just filed bancruptcy and moved on.

I'm yakking about this because whenever I see a development company that owns dozens of low-quality properties with little or no completion after a number of years I wonder about their business plan. IMO when a developer overbuys properties, even if his desire to provide affordable housing to people is sincere, it can create a money flow problem and can end up spreading the cash too thin, which results in cutting corners in terms of safety features.

JMO of course. There's not a lot we can do about such problems other than to strictly enforce codes and maybe require sprinklers on more types of properties. In some cases the owner gets a tax break for installing sprinklers - maybe an additional subsidy by the county would encourage better safety features. I dunno.

 

[cvaldez1975]

apparently a recent episode of Chicago fire was loosely based on ghost ship.

 

[MsMarple]

apparently a recent episode of Chicago fire was loosely based on ghost ship.

Yeah, there was quite a stir about it. I didn't know about it until after it aired.

https://ww2.kqed.org/arts/2017/03/0...host-ship-victims-in-a-moral-lowpoint-for-tv/

Lots of doo doo hitting the fan. Fire chief is on another leave, the charred debris from the fire was dumped in an open lot near the bay and a soccer field. No criminal charges yet.

http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/02/27/oakland-fire-chief-on-leave-for-second-time-in-2017/
http://www.eastbaytimes.com/2017/02...-district-to-investigate-charred-debris-dump/

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

What a coincidence! Not long after I posted about the Russell Industrial Center closing, here's an update about tenants being allowed to stay while safety upgrades are completed.

Russell Industrial Center tenants allowed to stay while safety upgrades made to buildings
Local 4 Defenders investigation uncovered multiple fire code violations

By Derick Hutchinson
Posted: 4:23 PM, March 03, 2017

DETROIT - Detroit officials announced Friday that tenants at the Russell Industrial Center can stay while safety upgrades are made...

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/...-stay-while-safety-upgrades-made-to-buildings

More details in Detroit News article: http://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...17/03/03/russell-industrial-hearing/98704138/

 

[CARIIS]

Here it is:

http://www.nbc.com/chicago-fire/video/deathtrap/3474749