Nearly 200 Residents Evicted From Condemned Building

Nearly 200 residents were relocated from an Oakland apartment complex Tuesday after an investigation into a Monday fire led to the discovery of numerous building code and health and safety violations, Oakland fire Deputy Chief James Edwards said.

Edwards said 194 residents, including 74 children, were forced to leave two three-story buildings. Building inspectors red-tagged the Amber Tree Apartments on Foothill Boulevard near 25th Avenue on Tuesday, condemning the building because of numerous electrical and fire code violations.

Dozens of people who were forced out of their apartments were settling down for the night Tuesday evening at the Ira Jinkins Recreation Center at Brookfield Park in East Oakland.

A total of 87 men, women and children checked into the facility and will likely be staying through Friday.

While sleeping on cots in an open room may not be an ideal living situation, it's far safer than what they left behind. A rundown apartment building that city officials say wasn't fit to live in.

Fire officials continued inspection of the buildings Tuesday after a 2 p.m. Monday fire revealed possible violations, Edwards said.

He said some of the violations include a fire alarm system that doesn't work, electrical problems and poor wiring conditions.

"We haven't found a smoke alarm that works correctly," Edwards said. "A lot of units don't have smoke alarms."

With just a couple of hours notice, residents were told they had to leave. Many grabbed what they could -- with some carrying their belongings in plastic bags -- to board buses that took them to the rec center to spend the night.

PG&E shut off gas and power Tuesday and the front gate was padlocked.

The fire department is working with various city departments and the American Red Cross to provide assistance to the displaced, Edwards said.

City officials say they hope to move the residents to permanent housing by the end of the week.

Oakland City Councilman Larry Reid, whose district includes the recreation center where the displaced residents are being taken, arrived at the center at about 5:40 p.m. and said volunteers were working to set up cots and prepare food.

"We're trying to make their evening just a little easier for them as they go through this trauma they're all faced with right now," Reid said.

The city said the property owner has declared bankruptcy. Chase Bank, which holds the loan on the apartments, won't foreclose on the property because the bank doesn't want to assume responsibility for the tenants.

Oakland officials said they hope to have new owners -- possibly a non-profit -- that would rehabilitate the apartments within the year.