Just Another Day In Oakland (Chapter Two): The Ice House Gets Torched

The Oakland Gentrification War continued as the "Ice House," a new condo development in West Oakland, was destroyed by an early morning blaze on October 23.

Despite the best efforts of Oakland firefighters (and various nearby Fire Agencies), the development was a total loss; burning for over 12 hours non-stop.

In regards to the Gentrification War, it didn't take long for Oakland residents to make claims that the fire was the work of individuals who may be targeting various construction developments in Oakland (and nearby Emeryville) to protest the rising cost of living in area.

Although the local media would like to the keep the narrative simple, just an arsonist on the loose. The media fails to talk about the likelihood that many of the fires that took place in Oakland and other areas may have actually been caused by the developers themselves.

Quite a few construction projects in the area start with the hopes of making money, but rising construction prices and the changing economy has seen some projects come to the realization that they are not going to meet their bottom line. Therefore, to save money (and make money) developers will torch a project that has already started and take the insurance money and walk away.

On the flip side, there was/is a true a war going on between homeless groups and developers (who were targeting homeless encampments) in which some of those developers found their projects targeted by vandals feeling that these construction projects are not being constructed for the people, but are being constructed to attract "outsiders" with money into Oakland.

So, the true motives for what is happening is more complex than the local media is willing to explain, or for local officials to communicate.

Either way, this will not be the last fire so stay tuned.