Oakland warehouse fire site was a hippie/artist collective "The Ghost Ship"

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He became friends with Satya Yuga's eccentric impressario, Almena, and his wife, Micah Allison. Veilleux said he talked a bit with Almena and Allison about safety concerns there, but "I didn't get a clear idea if they understood that." Veilleux said Almena and Allison lived at the warehouse "partially" but were looking for a permanent home nearby for the entire family.

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Almena said the art collective covered the $5,000 a month rent for the warehouse and made repairs to its electrical system without permits after the landlord refused.

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The building's safety concerns, according to some residents and regulars, seemed to get subsumed by the collective's broader mission to celebrate art — often in the form of big parties featuring bands from California's underground electronic music scene.

"It was a beautiful, amazing, creative space that was our chosen home," said resident Nikki Kelber, who escaped the fire.

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In between the need for locals to alert loved ones about their safety, health and well-being in light of what’s happened, there is a growing mainstream narrative that looks to pin the blame for this tragedy on the culture of the artists who inhabit the building.

Outlets such as CNN and DailyNews are making it a point to emphasize that residents were living in this warehouse illegally and making commercial use of it without a permit.

While mainstream media is intent on painting a portrait of irresponsible artists/ravers who should’ve never opted to reside inside the warehouse in the first place, no one is asking the larger question of why these artists are forced to work and make a living in these specific circumstances.

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In a curious fashion, mainstream reporters have queried aloud in their coverage about why the tenants of these warehouses do not seek permits that would allow them to legally stay in these buildings and hire the necessary services that would get the interior structures up to code. Looking closely at the problem, the answer is pretty simple: they can’t afford it. And while the responsibility of staying up to code rested upon Ghost Ship’s owner Derick Ion, the artists living and working in the space had little to no choice but to choose between stable housing and their own safety.

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Members of other warehouse-based art collectives said the Ghost Ship stood out in a community where most living quarters had amenities that could be considered normal for urban residences, and are safe and well-managed.

"Many of the people that live in these spaces are concerned about a crackdown from the city because of this one incident," said Darin Marshall, who lives in a warehouse nearby.

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