Local Artists React To Deadly Ghostship Fire
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) -- The tragedy in Oakland is drawing strong reactions from local artists in Sacramento.
They say living as an artist is a struggle, but cutting corners has never been an option for them - especially now.
Trisha Rhomberg lives in the warehouse artist lofts on R Street, and says she's blessed to still be alive because she could have also been a fire victim.
"I've been in plenty of old houses in Sacramento that do basement shows the roof is so low and it's sketchy," Rhomberg said.
And dangerous, now that Rhomberg reflects on the deadly fire in Oakland this weekend.
"I'm sad, I'm horrified. I have friends that were going to the show, luckily they weren't there yet. I have friends who have friends that died in the fire," Rhomberg said.
Rhomberg says she used to own a mixed-use venue in Sacramento. She paid between $20-40,000 to get the warehouse up to code.
She says now she's thankful she did everything the right way.
"Seeing what has happened when those things aren't in place is horrific and now it's worth all the money we thought in the beginning was over the top," Rhomberg added. "None of us are immune to what happened in Oakland."
"None of us are immune to what happened in Oakland."
The stakes are extremely high for a warehouse fire in Sacramento, according to fire captain Dave Lauchner.
And with the city growing so fast, Captain Lauchner says "there's no way for any city to be 100-percent. There's always gonna be people doing illegal modifications and there's no way to keep up with it."
Living in a warehouse artist loft for almost two years, Rhomberg recalls hearing the fire alarm go off at least half a dozen times.
It was an ear-piercing tone for Rhomberg at one point, but now a welcomed sound of safety and security.
"It's a real eye-opener for people who wanna do underground stuff and it's important to do things safe," said Rhomberg.
The Sacramento Fire Department says people are ultimately responsible for their safety whether a building is up to code or not.
They advise people to look for fire exits and fire extinguishers to be prepared in the event of a fire.