Gap in inspections of Oakland fire site appears to violate law

At the scene of the Oakland fire in which four people died, , Leandre Johnson (center), whose wife, Cassandra Robertson, was killed in the blaze, is comforted by Romell Lee (left) and Tywon Lee, Robertson’s brothers. less At the scene of the Oakland fire in which four people died, , Leandre Johnson (center), whose wife, Cassandra Robertson, was killed in the blaze, is comforted by Romell Lee (left) and Tywon Lee, Robertson’s ... more Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Michael Macor, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 19 Caption Close Gap in inspections of Oakland fire site appears to violate law 1 / 19 Back to Gallery

The West Oakland halfway house struck by a deadly blaze this week drew complaints about unsafe living conditions for years, but the city allowed well over a year to pass between the last two fire inspections, an apparent breach of a state law requiring annual reviews.

Oakland fire officials said Wednesday that the three-story building on San Pablo Avenue that was occupied by clients of nonprofit aid groups had been inspected seven times this decade: twice in 2010, twice in 2012, and once each in 2014, 2015 and 2017.

But the city, which is under pressure to identify hazardous buildings in the wake of December’s Ghost Ship disaster, released only the most recent inspection report, and would not talk about the results of the earlier visits. Angela Robinson Piñon, a Fire Department spokeswoman, said the reports would soon be made public.

The most recent visit was Friday. An inspector who had responded to a referral from a city engine company that had been at the building identified 11 violations, finding extension cords strung between rooms, a lack of smoke detectors and fire extinguishers, and fire sprinklers in need of servicing.

The landlord was given 30 days to correct the issues. Three days later, though, the fire broke out about 5:30 a.m., killing four people, two of whom were identified as Edwarn Anderson, 64, and Cassandra Robertson, 50.

More than 80 others, including people with disabilities and mental health and addiction issues, were displaced in the Monday fire, with many relegated to an emergency shelter set up in the neighborhood.

As the Fire Department continued to investigate the blaze, the information about the fire inspections raised questions about actions by the landlord and the city. Keith Joon Kim, the Piedmont entrepreneur and investor who owns the building, has not commented.

What remained unclear was the reason for the gap between fire inspections of a building with a history of trouble, including a raft of violations logged by city building inspectors. It was also not known whether safety violations were found in the earlier fire inspections — and if they were, whether the city made sure they were corrected.

City officials declined to explain why fire inspectors had not visited the location sooner. Problems were known at the site at least as far back as Feb. 25, when a firefighter responding to a service call there flagged it for review, according to city records.

State law requires local fire departments to inspect residential complexes with three or more units annually. Inspectors generally require a building’s owner to fix any problems within a certain time frame, but when life-threatening conditions exist, they can red-tag the property and order residents out.

Mayor Libby Schaaf said in an interview that the findings in the inspection three days before the fire didn’t warrant clearing the building, because the violations “did not amount to an imminent life safety threat.”

After the Ghost Ship fire, which killed 36 people at an unsanctioned music event that was held in an unpermitted live-work warehouse, Oakland was criticized for failing to take earlier action against that site’s owner and prime tenant.

In that case, city police officers had been told that the warehouse was illegally occupied, and building inspectors had responded to complaints. But the Fire Department had done no inspections of the Ghost Ship because, according to officials, the agency considered it vacant.

Details continued to emerge Wednesday about Urojas Community Services, the nonprofit that was housing needy clients in the building on San Pablo Avenue and was fighting eviction from the property at the time of the fire. The organization’s leader, the Rev. Jasper Lowery, has not responded to requests for comment.

Neighbors and clients said that under Urojas’ stewardship, the run-down building served as deeply flawed but desperately needed housing of last resort — a place that social service agencies counted on to take in clients who might be barred from other properties due to their eviction history, criminal record, sex-offender status or severe mental illness.

The Rev. Raymond Lankford, who for many years ran his Healthy Communities nonprofit out of a building across the street, called the building “a beacon for so many.”

“It was the place you could refer a mentally ill brother or sister or a young man getting out of prison who couldn’t stay with Mom in public housing because he had a felony record,” said Lankford. “Urojas took people at face value simply because they need housing and showed a desire to change their lives.”

Though bighearted, Urojas is a shoestring organization that has raised small amounts of money through church collections or gifts, but didn’t have the expertise or grant writers to obtain government or foundation funding, much less employ staffers to maintain a big building, Lankford said.

Records show that Urojas received $25,000 from an Alameda County sales-tax measure five years ago, but it’s not yet clear if the organization has obtained any other public money.

Residents said that while they were thankful for an affordable place to live, the conditions on San Pablo Avenue were trying. Devon Barney, 30, who paid $600 for a studio on the first floor, said the hot water didn’t work, rats ran rampant and “all kinds of trash” piled up in hallways.

Irene Randel, 28, and Eliza Anderson, 29, squeezed eight family members into a three-bedroom unit for $800 a month. The building was overrun with rats, they said, and didn’t have fire alarms or working lights in common areas.

Lankford said the building was nonetheless irreplaceable as Oakland gentrified. Of Lowery, he said, “He has a big heart. I’m not saying he is perfect or that Urojas is perfect. But if you were a stranger in need of housing, he would take you in.”

Kurtis Alexander, J.K. Dineen and Sarah Ravani are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com, jdineen@sfchronicle.com, sravani@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @kurtisalexander, @sfjkdineen, @SarRavani

How to help

Anyone wishing to help fire victims should visit the Red Cross website at www.redcross.org. Check the option “Home Fire Relief” and note in the comments that the gift is earmarked for services to support families impacted by the 2551 San Pablo Ave./Mead Avenue fire in Oakland.