My former place of work in Oakland burns down--three dead
By The Horse
@TheHorse (238355)
Walnut Creek, California
March 29, 2017 1:06pm CST
I could have predicted this. I was the designated rat catcher for our facility, in addition to being the de facto Director of Child Services. Our mother-and child-drug rehab facility and minimum security women's prison occupied the first and second floors.
At a certain point, they started housing homeless people on the third floor. Many had drug problems, many had serious mental illness issues, and a good number had both. Sometimes the mentally ill resident would throw objects at our children and me (from the third floor) when we were playing on the humble play structure in back of the building. That's also where the kids and I grew corn, sunflowers, snow peas, green beans, and tomatoes. You've seen the pictures.
My program moved to another building shortly after I left, in late 2011. When I heard on the radio that there had been a fire at place that currently housed drug addicts and the mentally ill on San Pablo Avenue, I wondered for just a second if it could be our old building.
Only this morning did I have time to check the Web and confirm that it was. What's strange was that as the fire was happening, I was dreaming about that building. In my dream, my former co-workers were giving me a tour of the building as it is now. In reality, our new facility is across the street, to the left in the photo. It was not touched by the fire.
I am sad for the victims, but I am selfishly thankful that this did not happen when we were still in the building. Many of the children you've seen in my photographs lived in that building. Had any of my adult or kid clients been injured or killed, I would have been devastated.
Three people were killed and a fourth was missing after an early morning fire Monday ripped through a large transitional housing building in West Oakland where fire inspectors had found 11 glaring safety violations just three days earlier. Following a Feb.
11 people like this
12 responses
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
29 Mar 17
eh, I don't think it's selfish to be glad you were already moved elsewhere. That's just human nature. sad that it happened at all, but from what you said, sounded like that sort of thing was something that is more surprising in that it hadn't happened yet.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238355)
• Walnut Creek, California
29 Mar 17
@Jessicalynnt Yep. I joked that it was in my job description, though I considered myself "overqualified."
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@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
29 Mar 17
@TheHorse hmmmn, "experience in organic recycling and waste management"
@BarBaraPrz (51838)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
29 Mar 17
So, was the (old) building unoccupied? And, I must say, that's a pretty rainbow smoke cloud coming from it.
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@BarBaraPrz (51838)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
29 Mar 17
@TheHorse So now they're homeless once again. Sigh.


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@TheHorse (238355)
• Walnut Creek, California
29 Mar 17
@BarBaraPrz Yep. I hope the City of Oakland is able to find something for them. I assume many of them have Social Workers, but that doesn't mean they can magically make safe housing appear.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
31 Mar 17
maybe you are clairvoyant, or you see the future?
1 person likes this
@Jeanniemaries (8237)
• United States
30 Mar 17
Oh wow! What a good thing for you, but so sad for the people in there now.
1 person likes this
@Jeanniemaries (8237)
• United States
31 Mar 17
@TheHorse Oh, you should write about that. It would be of great interest.
@Hatley (163772)
• Garden Grove, California
31 Mar 17
Thats so sad that some were killed and homeless people were housed in a building that the fire dept had said had three safety violations against it glad you and your clients were no longer housed there.
@BelleStarr (61463)
• United States
30 Mar 17
It sounds like housing the homeless and people with mental issues in a building with children was not a good idea to begin with, I am glad you are in another building.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43655)
• Denver, Colorado
30 Mar 17
That's lucky it didn't happen while you were still there, but still personal enough. Geez.
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