OAKLAND, Calif. _ In early January, almost three months before a fire ripped through a West Oakland affordable housing building, killing four people, firefighters recommended shuttering the entire place because of numerous life safety hazards but the city's fire marshal and civilian inspectors chose a slower approach, according to emails obtained by this news organization.
City officials had said firefighters first referred the dangerous conditions to inspectors on Feb. 25, but emails obtained through a public records request show that firefighters were already warning of major violations in early January. After responding to a medical call at the building on Jan. 8, engine company 15 found "open piles of garbage" on the third floor and saw that fire alarm pull boxes had been activated but never reset. A door to a fire escape was padlocked, according to emails released by the city late Friday afternoon.
"For these reasons, I recommend that we consider shutting this building down immediately due to the danger to life safety," Fire Capt. Richard Chew wrote in an email to Battalion Chief Geoff Hunter, who forwarded it to Fire Marshal Miguel Trujillo and Assistant Fire Marshal Maria Sabatini.
By February, firefighters were pleading with the fire marshal on how they could shut the building down.
"This building is dangerous!" Oakland fire Lt. Steve Padgett exclaimed in a Feb. 25 email to Fire Marshal Miguel Trujillo, Assistant Fire Marshal Maria Sabatini and other inspectors.
"Please let station 15 know what we can do to get this place shut down, updated and repaired," he wrote.
The city released the records late Friday, along with a news release announcing that Mayor Libby Schaaf and her administration are ordering a complete overhaul of the city's fire inspections and doubling the size of the Fire Prevention Bureau.
"The San Pablo Avenue Fire is another tragedy that reveals the urgent need to overhaul our inspection process," Schaaf said in a statement. "Today we are doubling the number of staff members in the Fire Prevention Bureau and taking steps to enhance their training and tools. We must expose the reckless property owners who are putting profits above safety. The two tragic fires over the last months highlight the critical importance of leadership, training, technology and staffing at our Fire Department; today's actions address those needs."
"While the cause of the deadly fire at 2551 San Pablo Ave. has been ruled accidental, it is clear that over-demand and inadequate staffing require an immediate remedy," said City Administrator Sabrina Landreth. "I have directed the Fire Department to focus all inspection staff _ engine companies and fire prevention staff alike _ to catch up on the backlog of inspections, with urgent priority on known problem properties, in close coordination with building inspectors."
The changes come after 40 people lost their lives in the last four months because of two large fires at buildings with dangerous fire hazards. The Ghost Ship warehouse fire killed 36 people and had never been inspected.
"Our initial investigation of the San Pablo Avenue fire further underscores the urgent need for reforms," Schaaf said.
Despite the warnings of fire hazards starting at least by Jan. 9, an inspection was not done until March 24, just three days before the inferno sent residents, many there in transitional housing, jumping from fire escapes, climbing down makeshift ropes and into the arms of firefighters.
