GHOST SHIP

Inspectors Hadn’t Entered Oakland Warehouse in 30 Years

Despite complaints.

Officials on Thursday announced that a building code enforcement inspector hadn’t entered an Oakland warehouse—where 36 people died on Friday evening—in more than 30 years despite complaints about the building. Usually, the agency only enters properties when the city’s planning and building department is prompted by a complaint or if the owner is seeking a permit, the organization’s interim director said. But the city says it had received complaints about the warehouse for alleged safety problems and was already investigating those reports when the catastrophic fire broke out last weekend. The building had received about two dozen code complaints and other city actions in the past three decades. It’s not yet clear why an inspector had not yet visited the interior of the art venue, home, and music space, called the Ghost Ship. An inspector did visit the site two weeks before the blaze but did not enter the structure. The city has not yet released any fire inspection records about the property.