Art communities make safety a priority after Oakland fire
Standing outside a red warehouse in Oakland, a man who goes by the name Dave X pressed a button on his remote control device, prompting nearly 2-feet-high flames to shoot up from a silver box.
At Kraftworks, a live-work artist space in Oakland, Saturday was dedicated to fire safety as residents of the warehouse and their friends offered free firefighting training, fire extinguishers, exit signs and smoke detectors to anybody in need.
A handful of people dropped in and out of the event, where 100 fire extinguishers were offered by Bay Cities Pyrotechtor.
Dave X, a safety manager at Nevada’s Burning Man festival, ran fire simulations all morning to help teach people how to use a fire extinguisher.
The giveaway came a day after worries among artists were confirmed by the closure of the Red Ramen punk rock venue and living space in Richmond.
According to city officials, the building was red-tagged after fire and building code inspectors found several safety violations.
“Closing down creative spaces is not a realistic solution,” said Liana Sananda, who spent the day volunteering to help fellow artists keep their spaces safe.
Sananda formed We the Artists of the Bay Area immediately after the Ghost Ship fire to assist any tenants or landlords with anything from eviction notices to obtaining fire safety equipment.