[hackerspaces] Tragedy in Oakland

[Arclight]

I'm sure folks have probably already heard about this, but if not,
there was a massive fire at an artist live/work type space in Oakland,
CA.  It looks there was a large loss of life:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/dec/03/oakland-warehouse-party-fire-deaths

There is almost certain to be a lot more attention from authorities
coming to hackerspaces and other informal venues, with reason.  Now
would be a good time to:

-Make sure the exits are clear
-Get the fire extinguishers serviced
-Purchase a proper flammables cabinet (secondhand is ok - they go for
US$100 here on Craigslist) and put away all of the paint, solvent,
etc.
-Fix the dodgy wiring the right way.  This also includes getting rid
of extension cords in permanent use.
-Throw the piles of old shite and half-finished art that's been abandoned

Some pictures of their venue will give you an idea of how this could
have happened:
http://www.oaklandghostship.com/

In short, there's too much stuff, a lot of which is flammable.  The
second story loft was apparently only accessible by a ladder, and
regularly had many people in it for events. Unfortuntately, we can
look at their photo gallery and see a lot in common with our own
spaces.  Time to tidy up and fix shit!

This is a public service announcement from 23b Shop.

Arclight