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Scott James: You have four exits. Jim Axelrod: The fire spread so quickly because rather than fire-retardant sound foam, on the wall of the club was highly flammable packing foam. Michael Derderian: Take this stuff down. [96] By 2013, Russell's group had resumed playing "Desert Moon". And, according to the brothers, it was one of the first exits used when the fire started. The Guest List: The Station Nightclub Fire, America's Deadliest Rock Concert will premiere on Sunday, February 20, 2022. I would forgive them in a heartbeat. It did not. And that's when it starts to hit you all that you've lost. fine against Station Nightclub owners upheld", "Station nightclub fire survivor tells how she's moved on in new book", "The Station fire took emotional toll on survivors, study finds", "Tentative $30 million deal in R. I. nightclub fire", "TV station that assigned reporter to cover his own nightclub raises ethical issue", "Station Video Spurs Lawsuit - Pollstar News", "Nightclub owner resigns from WPRI television", "Report of the Technical Investigation of The Station Nightclub Fire: Appendices (NIST NCSTAR 2), Volume 2", "Grand Jury Convened to Probe Deadly R.I. But he didn't know what. It had to be two minutes tops before the whole place was black smoke. But with last springs dedication of the memorial on the old nightclub site, Del Sesto said she thinks she has found a way not to forget, but to live with the memories. As soon as the pyrotechnics stopped, the flame had started on the egg-crate backing behind the stage, and it just went up the ceiling. Scott James: And the nightclub operator there was so angry when he saw what had happened in Rhode Island, he went public, and he even made public the contract that he had with Great White that showed there was no evidence of fireworks that were going to be part of the show. After the investigation ended and prosecutors had no more questions, after reporters stopped calling and the years passed since that deadly night, the man who was the sound technician and stage manager at The Station nightclub was left with his thoughts. He was out there, and he just loved being in the center. She took a photograph of the stone of a man who died and sent it to his daughter in California. They all say I never would have stopped it, and I probably wouldnt have. The fire began as rock band Great White played to the crowd. Firefighters responded within five minutes, and the building was fully engulfed within six minutes, according to a timeline assembled by WPRI. According to Lynch, under Rhode Island law, the fire marshal could not be criminally charged unless there was evidence of bad faith or malice. At the time of the fire, he had just started a new job closer to home in Providence at the local CBS station. JACK RUSSELL [news interview]: We never do anything without asking permission first. He spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. Michael Derderian: The club was sold. It was late on Feb. 20, 2003, when the cold winter night erupted in flames. They didn't even let him talk about it. But she refuses to live in the past. But what they received was highly flammable packing foam. I never imagined that anyone ever would be. Linda Saran was a regular at The Station. "We went out on a Thursday night to listen to music, drink some beers and have a good time. For the first few years she shunned memorial ceremonies but eventually was convinced to go. [47] Larocque was not charged by the grand jury, as Lynch had cited a state law that prevented charges against fire marshals without proof of bad faith. Scott James: It smelled like spilled beer and stale cigarettes and everything was just a little bit frayed at the edge. Jeff Derderian: There's so many things that factor into the decision to do that. Scott James has written a book about the tragedy called "Trial by Fire.". It didn't have a lock on it. And that's when the crowd realizes this is a real danger and we have to get out of here. Jeff Derderian: You know a day doesn't go by that we don't think about it in some way, shape or form. Today Phil Barr is married and a father of two little girls. He threw my wife, my cousin, my uncle, my sister out a window." The Station Nightclub Fire: Who's Responsible? It looked like a ladder of those black jelly bracelets from the 80s hanging in rings around my wrists. And I sent it to her and the best compliment I ever got was oh, his hairs fantastic.. First published on October 23, 2021 / 11:18 PM. [58] Others pointed out that Biechele had sent handwritten letters to the families of each of the 100 victims and that he had a work release position in a local charity. "[63] He added that the difference in the brothers' sentences reflected their respective involvement with the purchase and installation of the flammable foam. [13], In February 2003, Great White was on an eighteen date concert tour, and they had been using a pyrotechnic display during their performances that some club owners had denied them permission to use, citing safety concerns. [9] In 2008, American Foam agreed to pay $6.3 million to the families of the victims of the fire. In the end, the survivors and victims' families settled for a total of $176 million. Jody King: Nine different families have come up to me and said "thank you for having a great brother. You should be proud." Phil Barr: We kind of crouched down behind some of the people in front of us. I couldn't hear noise. [2] The follow-up inspection in December 2002 also did not cite the foam, and the inspector gave the building an "All OK" rating on his inspection form. MICHAEL DERDERIAN [at sentencing hearing]: There is so much pain and heartache that happened on our doorstep. That was his gift. Phil Barr: I remember the smoke descended really quickly. [48], Following the tragedy, Governor Donald Carcieri declared a moratorium on pyrotechnic displays at venues that hold fewer than 300 people. if I had nothing to hide, then why wouldn't you why wouldn't you talk to them and tell them what you knew or what you didn't know? I had the fire extinguisher in my hand, Vanner said. The TIAs also required additional crowd manager personnel, among other things. Parole board chairwoman Lisa Holley told journalists of her surprise at the forgiving attitude of the families, saying, "I think the most overwhelming part of it for me was the depth of forgiveness of many of these families that have sustained such a loss. [94] Kendall's version of the band holds the copyright for the Great White name. [90] The band initially retired "Desert Moon", the song they were performing when the fire began, from their concert set list. As we mark 20 years since that night, here are those who. America's Deadliest Rock Concert: The Guest List explores the Station nightclub fire through gripping survivor accounts and family members and friends of victims who have memorialized their loss through pursuits ranging from an exhibit of commemorative body art to re-immersion in the rock culture that initially brought them and their loved ones [81] In August 2016, the site was reported to have been being used as a PokeStop in Pokmon Go, to uproar from victims' families. Everyone carries baggage and I think at some point you figure out how to pack it and carry it with you, she said. Biechele. At the opening of the park I had 100 students from my school come, and I had to explain it all so I gave them their learning experience, she said of last Mays dedication of the park on the site of the Station nightclub. As a human being how do you not feel some sort of responsibility for that ? [9] The lack of usable exits were also a factor, as was the inward door that Larocque had found and asked to be removed. The club was sold. There is one consistent thing I have learned after 18 years in the Scott James: They only have about 60 seconds to get out of the building if they're going to live. PATRICK LYNCH [press conference]: We have an investigation on going and we need help, we need answers and I'm trying to get them. I noticed when the pyro stopped, the flame had kept going on both sides. [21] A total of 462 people were in attendance, even though the club's maximum licensed capacity was cited as 404.[2]. [80], A permanent memorial at the site of the fire has been erected and named the Station Fire Memorial Park. And the following year he was able to accomplish the impossible and rejoin his swim team. undisputable. View All 100 Memorials for the The Station Nightclub Fire Site. Russo said that the memorial serves a valuable purpose today for those who knew victims. And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through," explains Scott James. 9. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. So, it was not a great decision to use these inside a nightclub that only has 12-foot ceilings. [93] In the years following the fire, Great White split into two separate groups, one led by Russell and the other by Kendall. Sparks from the gerbs ignited the insulation foam, and flames were visible on the wall above the stage within nine seconds of their ignition. [14] In the aftermath of the fire, Great White and the owners of the Station disputed whether the band were allowed to use the pyrotechnic display during their concert. Pyrotechnics ignited foam insulation that lined the walls and ceiling around the stage, the National Institute of Standards and Technology concluded. Patrick Lynch: while troubling, concerning, maddening it doesn't mean that somebody should be charged or can be. I miss Tina a lot. Jody King kneels at his brother Tracy's memorial. Witnesses of the nearly mile-wide tornado recount how they managed to survive. I am proud. The answer is no. Absolutely not. JEFF DERDERIAN [crying]: Many people didn't make it out and that is a horror that will haunt my family and I for the rest of our lives. Today marks the 20th anniversary of The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, RI, which killed 100 people. [2] The final tally by The Providence Journal of people inside the Station during the fire totaled 462. [1] The building that would become The Station was built in 1946 and was originally used as a gin mill. Two decades after 100 people were killed in the West Warwick, R.I. fire, those affected by the incident are reflecting on that tragic night. And they're quick to point out the club was inspected by their insurance company, and multiple times by the local Fire Marshal Denis Laroque. You bury nine people in a period of less than two weeks, she said, and yeah, I think it affects you. I will never forget that night, and I will never forget the people that were hurt by it. Barr says when he came to, he felt excruciating pain near the base of his spine and burning on his face. At least 64 others were also sued, including the state of Rhode Island citedforthe fire inspector's failure to report the flammable foam during multiple inspections. Cold air washing over me. So, the only way to pick up a can of soda would be to do this [lifting both arms out parallel in front of her]. Jim Axelrod: Over the course of the investigation, what did you learn about the way the brothers ran their business? [76] Another memorial was later that night the West Warwick Civic Center. I went back around the front again, and that's when you saw people stacked on top of each other, trying to get out of the front door. [2] Larocque later told the Rhode Island State Police that he had not spotted the polyurethane foam during the November 2002 inspection because he was upset after finding an illegal inward swinging door that he had previously asked to be removed from the building. But with last years dedication of the Station Memorial Park on the site of the nightclub, she said she found that along with the scars, that night had provided her with a purpose in life and people she would otherwise never have known. once you could no longer see, it was total pandemonium. Linda Saran still places much of it on the Derderian brothers. She sees telling the story of the Station fire as a way of preventing others from going through the same thing. Patrick Lynch: Not only was the door up, which it shouldn't have been, opened inward which it shouldn't have It was covered in foam. Then there's that interior, inward swinging door by the stage that Former Attorney General Patrick Lynch says was responsible for loss of life the night of the fire. And I said my hands won't work. Survivors of the Station nightclub fire reflect on tragedy's 20th anniversary One hundred people were killed and many more injured when a pyrotechnic display caused a massive blaze in 2003.. The crime scene evidence that convicted Alex Murdaugh, How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh, Five deaths with a connection to Alex Murdaugh's family investigated, Husband of woman murdered with an ax convicted 40 years after her death. You take one square inch of the foam, you hold it up with a roach clip and light it on fire with a wooden match. Her fianc, Alfred Freddy Crisostomi, did not. And outside I went. [44] The NIST report was released on March 3, 2005 and was made available in two parts on June 30, 2005. it was also on fire. [98], 41, a documentary about Nicholas O'Neill, the youngest victim of the fire, was screened at Rhode Island theaters in 2008. And if we could change it, we would. I'm so sorry for what I have done, and I don't want to cause anyone any more pain. It would have been my legacy, Vanner said. Out of it. The state of Rhode Island is small," says author Scott James. these contracts are pretty specific. [95] When Russell launched his version of the band in 2012, Kendall's group responded that Russell had no right to use the name. Jeff Derderian: I don't know. I can only pray that they understand that I would do anything to undo what happened that night and give them back their loved ones. I come down every year and play the [bagpipes], he told WCVB. That happened in 2001. I would see the burn survivors, whom Im lucky enough to call friends, Del Sesto said. Jody King: I'm so proud to say he's my brother. We talk about fire safety a bit, I dont get too, too far into it.. Dont take life for granted and I miss her every day She was my world and now shes my angel.. In the days after the fire, victims' families and survivors faced a harsh new reality. Since he co-owned The Station nightclub with his brother Michael Derderian, Jeff suggested it as a venue for generic nightclub footage. Eighteen years later, there is no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. It couldnt continue another 10, 15 years, it couldnt. And it was ugly. Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. sentenced Biechele to fifteen years in prison, with four to serve and eleven years suspended, plus three years' probation, for his role in the fire. [48] Some victims' families criticized the 48 Hours segment and the Derderians' involvement. Jim Axelrod: Describe The Station nightclub for me. [76] The Rhode Island state fire code was changed after the fire to require every nightclub in the state with a capacity of over 150 people to have a sprinkler system installed.[3]. In a statement, Rhode Island Gov. [21], By this time, the nightclub's fire alarm had activated, and although there were four possible exits, most people headed for the front door through which they had entered. Those at the nightclub had to act soon, as smoke was visible in the exit doorways in just over one minute. And I stood up. That day let her put a period on the last sentence of Chapter Two, she said. and I tripped over what I assume was a bar stool. The tragedy, she said, heightened her appreciation of the life she was allowed, for whatever reason, to continue.