In the aftermath of the deadly Ghost Ship fire in East Oakland 12 days ago, it was assumed by many that other similar warehouses that had been converted into illegal live-work spaces or residences would likely bare the brunt of the city's ensuing paranoia and legitimate fears of letting another such tragedy occur. But Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf is so far sticking to her word to "not let our emotions lead to hasty decisions or witch hunts," as the Chronicle reports, even though other Bay Area cities, San Francisco included, can't say the same.
San Francisco building inspectors have been sent to "10 or 11" such potential illegal residences, as the paper discovers, saying they believe the places to be possibly dangerous for those living in them. SFist noted a report last week about one such warehouse in the Bayview, though it's unclear if that was among the 10 or 11 being targeted by the Department of Building Inspection.
Over in Richmond, Mayor Tom Butt says the city has been compiling a list of commercial buildings that have no active business licenses and haven't undergone fire inspections, and they've apparently found "hundreds."
It's a sensitive issue of course given the tightness and high prices of the Bay Area housing market, and since time immemorial artists have found ways to buck convention and make do with less-than-ideal living circumstances out of financial necessity. The cities are sure to face an intense backlash if they start evicting people en masse, or causing them to be evicted by condemning or red-tagging their living spaces.
For their part, Schaaf and City Administrator (and acting chief of police) Sabrina Landreth say they are taking "proactive next steps” to avoid any more tragedies, including “assembling a fire safety task force of national experts and local officials” to help create a big-picture set of guidelines and safety rules for such dwellings.
Meanwhile, it's becoming increasingly clear that even members of the fire department had turned a blind eye to the Ghost Ship space, despite being well aware of what went on there, and maybe even what it looked like inside. According to the East Bay Times, one firefighter on the way to the scene of the blaze told a colleague he "knew" the building, and said it was a "maze" inside.
“Just ask the fire captains in every firehouse where the weird buildings are in their district, and they would tell you,” said one anonymous Oakland firefighter to the Chronicle. “In fact, the guys who fought that fire knew that building was there.”
The problem may just be that there are too many such buildings, and the city has had to, because of being stretched thin with inspections, take an attitude of "live and let live." But that's likely to change very soon.
