Oakland building where fire victims died was source of complaints

SF Gate ^ | December 4, 2016 | By Jill Tucker, Rachel Swan, Erin Allday, and J.K. DineenJill Tucker & others

[libstripper]

It was known as the Ghost Ship, a large, gray-walled warehouse with a skull and other artwork painted on the outside and chock-full of hand-built spaces tailored for musicians and artisans.

But over the past decade, the 4,000-square-foot structure at 1305 31st Ave. was better known to city zoning and fire officials as a source of complaints about illegal residential uses, all-night dance parties and general blight.

[libstripper]

More evidence that the Oakland authorities absolutely knew about this horror about to happen and did nothing.

[vette6387]

Yes, in the next few days and weeks, the Oakland “officials" are going to be scurrying around like a bunch of cats covering $hit! But with the horrendous death toll, I just imagine either severally or collectively, they families of the dead are going to be launching huge lawsuits against Oakland and their Fire Officials! Unfortunately, for the victims, the money won won't bring back their lives.

[libstripper]

I’ve been watching the hopelessly pathetic “news conferences” of these humanoid vermin FN. They play the fake sympathy violins about the dead and their families as long as they can and slither away from culpability questions as fast as recently exposed cockroaches run from the light. BTW, my apologies to cockroaches.

[luvbach1]

I read a report that as many as 285 people may have been in the building. The only source I can give is that I read it on Free Republic.

[ameribbean expat]

Let’s see...subletting for a nonconforming use, illegal narcotics, dance parties, failure to comply with local codes and ordinances...oopsies, there goes the owner’s insurance coverage.

[Steely Tom]

I wonder if the city inspectors were dipping their beaks up to the nostrils. I guess I needn’t.

If so, this will go into the memory hole in a few days.

[SaveFerris]

“Ghost Ship” - what a terribly inappropriate moniker it turned out to be. I saw a couple of Golden Donna pics yesterday that just seemed wrong too (never heard of Golden Donna before).

[Karl Spooner]

The place was loaded with this kind of 'art', too.

[HiTech RedNeck]

What a commune, mon. Till it burned down.

[SaveFerris]

Ugh. Here's the Golden Donna pics I noticed yesterday:

[ncalburt]

It was a very notorious Drug Den not a Dance Hall.
The state of mind of these victims did not help when a fire broke out .
What type of flame started the fire ?

[Darteaus94025]

“Source of complaints”.

Well, too bad the City of Oakland was not a source of action. Don’t worry though, not one city worker will lose their job or their new raise.

[RegulatorCountry]

I’d guess electrical fire, given the touring DJ setup.

[PLMerite]

“...known to city zoning and fire officials as a source of complaints about illegal residential uses, all-night dance parties...”

Somebody’s going to Jaaail,
Sombeody’s going to Jaaail.

[del4hope]

This is bizarre to me. Have an inlaw that lives in Oakland. Last I heard he was living in a communal warehouse. He was into the burning man stuff and all that. Would not be surprised to hear that he was a victim. Although with Oakland being Oakland, there are many of these types of places in existence. Of course we would be the last to know if something happened to him. We do not keep up with that branch of the family.

[Twinkie]

We don’t take any pleasure in the deaths of our fellow
man. However, sowing and reaping happens and a lot of
that “artsy fartsy” crap is just that - crap. I need to
simplify around our place myself and certain “art” is
NOT good for the soul.

[matthew fuller]

"What type of flame started the fire ?"

I'm betting on a meth lab accident.

[Species8472]

Speaking with 40 years of fire/EMS experience (retired)

The first responders to this event are going through hell.......

Please pray for them!

[wardaddy]

I drive a lot...over 100,000 a year..... been first on scene of half a dozen fatal accidents these past 10 years

I always pray there is no dead child in the car as I approach

But I’ve seen some sad things ...whew...a motorcycle death of a young man and his father arrived on scene last June....

Everyone including the cops were weepy watching the dads wailing on his knees by the body

I called my wife sobbing..I get misty just writing about it

But unless you’re a jackass human instinct is to try to help especially if car is on fire

One I saw as we ran to it,,,burst into flames with the guy strapped in upside down unconscious when we were 20 yards away running towards the car

It was an inferno like a marshmallow flaming up over a log fire

My then 13 year old boy had run over with me and an Outlaws MC full patch from the Nashville chapter ran up too same time

My son was crying we have to do something

The sage biker told him son it’ll roast your daddy’s lungs in second you try to go in there

It was awful....

So I can imagine how much worse that is

Sandy hook prolly is bad as it gets