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Preventing Warehouse Studio Fires in DC Area
By Shomari Stone
A sheriff in California said he doesn’t expect to find any more victims from that massive warehouse fire in Oakland. Thirty-six bodies have been pulled from the so-called “Ghost Ship.”
Dozens of artists set up studios in the building, and a lot of the illegal living spaces were piled high with pallet staircases made of wood. Some former residents called it a disaster waiting to happen, but how can a similar tragedy be prevented from happening in the D.C. area?
Lawrence Ball is a Howard University graduate who owns a digital agency business inside 52 O Street Studios. It’s a warehouse that has art studios and some residential units.
Lawrence said the property manager and landlord do a great job to keep the building safe. He said when he walks out of his office, there is a fire extinguisher and a fire alarm in the hallway.
“The D.C. area has very strict requirements,” Lawrence said. “One being licensed as a property manager, and two, being able to maintain a c/o for a property you’re going to be renting out.”
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Bates Area Civic Association 