Back in December, tragedy struck as a blaze broke out during a show at Oakland's Ghost Ship—a DIY-venue located in a two-story warehouse. One of the two exits had been blocked, leading to chaos as party-goers attempted to exit to safety. The incident lead to the devastating loss of 36 young men and woman. 

The leaseholder, Derick Almena, and the tenant, Max Harris, received much criticism for the incident, having endangered both the concert-goers and those living in the warehouse by not ensuring the site was up to code. Assistant District Attorney Teresa Drenick said the two men "knowingly created a fire trap with inadequate means of escape. They then filled that area with human beings and are now facing the consequences of their action." The two were arrested earlier today and each faces up to 39 years in prison if convicted of all charges. 

Back when the incident happened, it prompted discussions of the safety and vitality of DIY venues such as Ghost Ship, and focused attention on the long-term effects building code violations have for gentrification and zoning. We dedicated episode 91 of our podcast, Archinect Sessions, to discussing the incident with two guest who have had professional and personal experience with forming community spaces. You can listen to the episode below!