Oakland club/arts centre fire

[Orang Utan]

I'm surprised there hasn't been a thread on this. 36 killed in a fire at a 100% Silk party in an unlicenced arts venue:
Oakland fire: warehouse manager 'incredibly sorry' for blaze that killed 36
I've been to so many clubs that look like that in London, so I found it chilling reading.

 

[Dan U]

quite a lot of DJ's i follow on twitter appear quite affected by this, knew folk etc.

just a horrible tragedy, makes me think about all the dodgy squat's i've been in in the UK, let alone rammed clubs/venues

 

[salem]

This kind of thing has always been at the back of my mind at various parties. Some organisers better then others, but many times I've seen barricaded fire exits, absolutely rammed stairwells (just with normal traffic), crap piled up in spare rooms/corners, dodgy electrics, people with a grudge etc and thought how quickly things could take a turn for the worst.

That being said, I was well aware of the risks and sometimes it's unavoidable. I'm sure the people who went to this party knew the score too and on some level accepted it.

A dreadful tragedy and sympathies to all involved.

 

[Thimble Queen]

Pretty terrifying. It was on my mind when I was heading to work (at a pretty diy club in a converted warehouse) on Saturday. I have fb friends in common with some of the people that died in the fire including one person who went back in to help and didnt come back out. Its heart breaking to read their posts and outpourings of grief.

 

[Yossarian]

It's chilling stuff, I know a lot of us have spent a lot of time in very similar places.

The guy who ran this place really sounds like a piece of work, by all accounts he totally ignored warnings that the place - especially a makeshift wooden staircase between levels - was a complete death trap. His reaction on Facebook after learning that the place had burned with dozens of people in it: "Confirmed. Everything I worked so hard for is gone."

 

[krtek a houby]

For trans women killed by Oakland fire, struggle for respect continues in death

 

[IC3D]

Tragic. The parties I go to these days are nearly exclusively in steel constructed warehouses normally entering through an office or something but the rig got in some how so I assume there is a contingency.
Certainly been in a few death traps back in the day the worse from memory was nr shoreditch had no exit apart from a big industrial lift and was rammed.
RIP to those that lost their lives.

 

[Orang Utan]

It's chilling stuff, I know a lot of us have spent a lot of time in very similar places.

The guy who ran this place really sounds like a piece of work, by all accounts he totally ignored warnings that the place - especially a makeshift wooden staircase between levels - was a complete death trap. His reaction on Facebook after learning that the place had burned with dozens of people in it: "Confirmed. Everything I worked so hard for is gone."

He also did a bizarre tv interview in which he also made it all about his suffering

 

[moon]

This

but many times I've seen barricaded fire exits, absolutely rammed stairwells (just with normal traffic), crap piled up in spare rooms/corners, dodgy electrics,

If you put on an event you can ask people to watch the fire exits for free beer/entry etc, for an hr each, this is what we did and it works, the exits should be open.
If you are asked to perform at an event always ask about health and safety procedure implementation, if you are not satisfied with the response then decline the invitation.
When you go to an event always make a note of where the fire exits are and check they are not barricaded, if you feel unsafe then leave.
If there are any acts that use fire on stage or anywhere, then stand right next to the fire exit.
I'm a bit of a health and safety freak but I've seen too much footage of incidents like this not to be.