The Oakland city attorney’s office signed a $90,000 contract with a San Francisco public-relations firm “for the purpose of managing and minimizing the City of Oakland’s potential exposure to liability for claims and litigation that may arise out of the Incident,” the contract read. The firm’s duties included conducting “scrimmages as needed for the City Attorney and its clients” — that is, coaching Oakland officials how to deflect blame away from themselves.
It doesn't help Harris, nor the decedents, really, but I hope the civil case finds for massive damages to the city, PG&E, and the landlords. Hell, maybe even some of those damages could go towards a fund to pay for sprinklers and electrical upgrades in existing warehouses.
I understand the cultural rejection of burning man; the irony is that the warehouse communities I've been to that have residents who are members of DPW @ burning man are fun but still often fire safe - hundreds of fire safety experts and volunteered are pulled together every year for that event.