[96] By 2013, Russell's group had resumed playing "Desert Moon". Jim Axelrod: Did you have enough time to form those complete thoughts? It didn't have a lock on it. "[5], Many of the survivors of the fire developed post-traumatic stress disorder after the event. Linda Saran: My hospital roommate, he and I took turns driving the respiratory therapist crazy in some ways it's almost like being in war together. Also there that night was Bates College student Phil Barr, who was home for winter break. According to Lynch, under Rhode Island law, the fire marshal could not be criminally charged unless there was evidence of bad faith or malice. [94] Kendall's version of Great White was to perform at the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Connecticut alongside Stryper and Steven Adler on March 25, 2023, but the venue indefinitely postponed the concert on March 2, citing its proximity to the twentieth anniversary of the fire. : In 2021, 48 Hours described the total civil payments to the victims and families as $176 million. [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. And settled for $1 million. The tour manager for the rock band Great White pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison. Tracy King liked to entertain people with his unique talent. [9] In 2008, American Foam agreed to pay $6.3 million to the families of the victims of the fire. Michael Derderian: Zero. 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. 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. [81] In August 2016, the site was reported to have been being used as a PokeStop in Pokmon Go, to uproar from victims' families. He was worried about his brother Tracy who worked there as a bouncer. As of September 2008, at least $115 million in settlement agreements had been paid, or offered, to the victims or their families by various defendants. Phil Barr: A lot of people moved back towards the main entrance it became really clear that we were not going to be able [to] get out the front door. Jeff Derderian: this is flammable you can't have this. And he's like he don't know. Today Phil Barr is married and a father of two little girls. I did not lead them out, he said dismissively. Station nightclub fire survivor tells burn victims love can happen amid scars, fears: Joe Kinan has had more than 120 surgeries, not the least of which was a hand transplant. Everybody just kind of turned. He owned his own construction company, and he was often in the backyard with his sons, improving the landscape or building two ponds that he filled with koi fish. He was granted parole and then released after 22 months. Michael Derderian also spoke via phone to an investigator. Eighteen years later, there was no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. 9. The Feb. 20, 2003. The Station nightclub fire occurred on the evening of February 20, 2003 at The Station, a nightclub and hard rock music venue in West Warwick, Rhode Island, United States, killing 100 people and injuring 230. A California woman who had been injured in an accident and hadnt left her house in five years wrote her, she said. They were friends. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. And he says you can. (WJAR) WEST WARWICK . The Station Nightclub Fire - University of Cincinnati pdf To summarize the reports, specifically about how people exited, the vast majority of people attempted to exit the way they came in. The morning after the fire, the lead singer of Great White, Jack Russell, claimed the brothers had given the band permission to set off the fireworks. You were not approaching that area at all. The fire was now out of control; it had spread along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling intended to dampen sound. into the main barroom. Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch opened an investigation and convened a grand jury to determine if anyone should face criminal charges. Michael Derderian: But that door became impassable almost within seconds because clearly there's foam that's burning at 800 or 1,500 degrees. Scott James has written a book about the tragedy called "Trial by Fire.". According to author Scott James, Great White had reportedly used a large pyro display without permission at other clubs, including just days before the fire at a show in New Jersey. They all came so every single one of those hundred students held up a white rose and they represented one of the 100 [who died]. it became very, very hard to breathe. Investigators eventually discovered the fax was sent by Barry Warner, a former employee at American Foam the company that had sent the Derderians the packing foam made of flammable polyurethane. Tracy King died saving many others the night of the fire. This article was originally published on Oct. 22, 2021. [3] A fire had previously occurred at the building in 1972 while it was used as a restaurant called Julio's. That effort raised about $10,000 over seven years to help pay for the construction of the memorial park. People recall the events of the fourth deadliest night club fire in U.S. history. It was really everything to me at that time. Patrick Lynch: You're telling me it wasn't, and I don't know that it wasn't. The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., was on fire . 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. [48], Following the tragedy, Governor Donald Carcieri declared a moratorium on pyrotechnic displays at venues that hold fewer than 300 people. Gina Russo has no clear memory of how, with her hair on fire, she got out of the Station nightclub the night of Feb. 20, 2003. I figured I was on my own at that point.. there was nothing that would make it so you couldn't get out of it. Del Sesto said her life is told in three chapters now. One hundred people died, and hundreds more suffered. He sees a court-ordered therapist, who has told him he has depression and PTSD. The Derderians say despite their love for the club the business had peaked, and they were in the process of selling it. Michael Derderian: He's completely out of it. I would forgive them in a heartbeat. I can't speak Everything was, you know, sore and hoarse I picked up the pen in very weak, you know, kind of handwriting I wrote, "I hope to make progress every day.". He arrived early around 8:30 p.m. Phil Barr: There really weren't that many people around early in the night. [tears up, shaking his head]. And while they weren't charged in the criminal case, survivors and victims' families sued them in civil court for not warning the Derderians the foam they sent them was flammable. In the stampede, 21 people were killed. Jody King: As I went by the fire station fire trucks are coming out Now the question in my head is why are all these firetrucks leaving? 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. The brothers have since learned that the fire marshal should have tested the foam on the wall. 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? This is a massive part of my life. [9] Although Warner was called to testify to a grand jury, he was not asked about the fax. Warner lived next to The Station and had met the brothers. Russo said that the memorial serves a valuable purpose today for those who knew victims. Its just one of those things thats ingrained in you.. Do you understand that anger? Linda Saran: I said, "you know what? MICHAEL DERDERIAN [at sentencing hearing]: There is so much pain and heartache that happened on our doorstep. [34], Providence Phoenix columnist Ian Donnis wrote of the effect that the fire had on the close-knit Rhode Island community, "The loss of so much life would represent a tragedy anywhere, but it struck especially hard in Rhode Island, the nation's smallest state, where no place is more than an hour away by car and the fire claimed one tenth of one percent of the state's population. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. There was a table in the way at the door, and I pulled that out just to get it out of the way so people could get out easier. A surgery to correct a childhood ailment with his ears left him able to balance objects on his chin. These TIAs were subsequently incorporated into the 2006 edition of NFPA 101, along with additional exit requirements for new nightclub occupancies. Her father wont visit the memorial, and it took her years to be able to drive down Cowesett Avenue, she said. That was in like the 80s. [20], Great White started their performance at 11:07 p.m. on February 20. The second was the time from that night until the dedication of the memorial last spring. He trusted in his friends. "We never knew the whole story because the trial never happened, so everything really never came out," says Jody King, whose brother worked at The Station as a bouncer. JACK RUSSELL [news interview]: We never do anything without asking permission first. [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. The fire began as rock band Great White played to the crowd. Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison. Why had the fire spread so quickly? [30] Longley reportedly died after returning to the building to retrieve his guitar. [18][19] Gonsalves was the host of the WHJY program The Metal Zone, at the time the longest-running heavy metal radio program in the United States. [4] No occupants were in the building during the 1972 fire, but the interior was significantly damaged. About 40 seconds after the song began, Great White stopped the show and all but one member of the band escaped through the stage door exit. [54] Darigan remarked, "The greatest sentence that can be imposed on you has been imposed on you by yourself. This is a company that did little to educate their employees about the limits of polyurethane foam. Scott James: It smelled like spilled beer and stale cigarettes and everything was just a little bit frayed at the edge. [35], The fire, from its inception, was caught on videotape by cameraman Brian Butler for WPRI-TV of Providence, and the beginning of that tape was released to national news stations. (crying) So I can't expect anybody else to. Jeff Derderian: We feel a sense of guilt about what happened in the sense that you carry the guilt of knowing that these people aren't here anymore, and these people are hurt for the rest of their life. Jody King: I spent the next five or six hours going back and forth in the parking lot talking to firemen, asking firemen, "can you please pull the sheets back for me? Well, I guess once we all started to turn toward the door, and we got bottle-necked into the front door, people just kept pushing, and eventually everyone popped out of the door, including myself. these contracts are pretty specific. . So, to the people who think we don't own it I'm telling you, we DO own it ok? But instead, I chose to run like a common coward.. Jody King: He trusted the club. Jim Axelrod: Do you feel, "Oh my goodness, we're in trouble?". 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. Nine months after the fire, the club's owners, brothers Jeff and Michael Derderian, along with Daniel Biechele, the band's tour manager, were each charged with 200 counts of involuntary. [51], Victims' families have also cited overcrowding in the venue as a cause for the causalities during the fire. Michael and Jeff Derderian pleaded no contest to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and agreed to a deal. [94] Kendall's version of the band holds the copyright for the Great White name. Christina Pimentel wasnt at the Station 15 years ago but she remembers the fire that killed 100 people because one of them was her uncle, Carlos Pimentel Sr. Jeff Derderian, seated right, says, "You know a day doesn't go by that we don't think about it in some way, shape or form.". [21] The fire spread throughout the building and was completely engulfed within six minutes of the pyrotechnic ignition. The night of the fire, hundreds of people gathered at The Station to see the band Great White. He tells her he wishes that hed tried to extinguish the fire. I could have missed that My friends that didn't survive that night have missed that. 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. "It's hard to describe the level of agony. That night is not a coherent memory for her, she said, but a sequence of moments when she was hyper-focused on finding her friends or helping those around her. The fire seemed to burn quickly, she added. View Image Gallery. He said if there's. But, you know, they have this following to this day . [99] 41 and a film based on O'Neill's play They Walk Among Us were aired by Rhode Island PBS in February 2013 in conjunction with the tenth anniversary of the fire. I cant do it for the rest of my life, she said. The first time I went to counseling, I made the therapist cry, Del Sesto said. One guy did crawl out. At least 12 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, The Saturday Six: Dental device controversy, scientist's bug find and more, Trump speaks at CPAC after winning straw poll, 3 children killed, 2 others wounded at Texas home, Man charged for alleged involvement in 2 transformer explosions, Nikki Haley slams potential GOP contenders, and Trump and George W. Bush, Duo of 81-year-old women plan to see the world in 80 days, Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant to "take some time away" from the team after allegedly brandishing a gun in a club, Alex Murdaugh trial: What to know about the double murder case. [86][87] The memorial dedication ceremony took place on May 21, 2017. At the time of the fire, he had just started a new job closer to home in Providence at the local CBS station. Monday marked the 20th anniversary of the Station nightclub fire, one of the deadliest blazes to ever occur at a nightclub in the United States. On May 20, 2003, nondenominational services began to be held at the site of the fire for a number of months. That happened in 2001. In an exclusive interview with "48 Hours" contributor Jim Axelrod, the Derderians said they wanted to set the record straight and reveal new information about that foam and accountability. I never thought it would get so bad., He told bartender Julie Mellini that they had to leave, and she and several patrons followed Vanner out the kitchen door. It was crowded, and it was getting bad. As a result of this and other similar incidents, fire chiefs, fire marshals and inspectors require trained crowd managers to comply with the International Fire Code, NFPA-101 Life Safety Code, NFPA-1 Fire Code and many local ordinances that address safety in public-assembly occupancies. For the first February in 15 years, Lisa Del Sesto said, she hasnt had the nightmares. Today, we mourn the 100 lives lost in the Station nightclub fire and the hundreds more whose lives will never be the same. Unlike many of the patrons there, this was Barr's first time at the club. In February 2006 three years after the station nightclub burned down many in Rhode Island were shocked to learn that instead of a trial, a plea deal had been reached with Daniel Biechele, the tour manager for the band Great White. A staggering 100 lives were lost. But she refuses to live in the past. True to his words, Barr fought to breathe on his own. Foam the Derderians had installed along the club's walls and ceilings to conceal noise was highly flammable and "was equal to gallons of gasoline. The biggest question was, why had the fire spread so quickly? Jim Axelrod: Over the course of the investigation, what did you learn about the way the brothers ran their business? They all later accepted plea deals. 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. Patrick Lynch: The defendant had every right to go to trial and say, hey, if it's this mysterious fax that it's trying to be referenced today, 18 years later, hey, this is important. [95] When Russell launched his version of the band in 2012, Kendall's group responded that Russell had no right to use the name. [61] Michael Derderian received fifteen years in prison, with four to serve and eleven years suspended, plus three years' probationthe same sentence as Biechele. He still remembers that deadly night. It made me realize, I might be only one person, but my story and my injuries were making people listen, she said. S01:E01 - San Francisco Freeway Collapse. Doreen Schechter and Gary Winter are the editors. Patrick Lynch: The type of foam was equal to gallons of gasoline. WEST WARWICK, R.I. The owners of The Station nightclub say their decision to finally speak publicly about the deadly fire there nearly . I don't care what I'm going to see.". Dan Biechele, center, at his sentencing. [8], Great White had two opening acts for the February 20 concert: Trip, a group from Vancouver, Washington, and Fathead, a local Rhode Island band. 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. 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. I couldn't hear noise. "[55] Biechele was released in March 2008. For the first few years she shunned memorial ceremonies but eventually was convinced to go. The Derderians have always maintained that they never gave the band permission to use pyrotechnics. Tracy King worked at The Station as a bouncer. Phil Barr: I remember the smoke descended really quickly. That was the most important thing, they didnt freak.. [2] The three were each charged with 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter with criminal negligence and 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter in violation of a misdemeanor. He don't know. As were going down the stairs to get into the comedy club, in the heart of Times Square, the first thought that goes through my mind: I come back and look and go: Are there two exits down there? she said. [56], The sentence drew mixed reactions in the courtroom. ", Scott James: They had their moments. . Jeff Derderian: None of the inspections and then follow-up inspections. The brothers sent a fax to the foam company specifically asking for sound foam. And I said my hands won't work. Michael Derderian: We do understand that anger and that's that's why we're here with you. The fire left her with burns over 40 percent of her body, it incinerated her hair. But I should have at least tried.. She said she spent years after that in pain and anger. But their plans for the future would suddenly change. [97] Russell raised about $180 from the concert, but the Memorial Foundation refused the donation, a decision supported by Kendall. American Foam said Warner's claims about the company are false. But then the door would go back up when it was going to be a loud night. then as it heals, the scarring tightens up. Linda Saran and her friend Deb were in the atrium, huddled together under a table. [98], 41, a documentary about Nicholas O'Neill, the youngest victim of the fire, was screened at Rhode Island theaters in 2008. Jeff Derderian: We tried to get as far as we could. He was the. Robin Petrarca was in New York City three weeks ago, looking for some laughs in a comedy club. It all started around 11 p.m. when the rock band Jack Russell's Great White took the stage and the group's tour manager, Daniel Biechele, set off four large fireworks called gerbs. I found my soul was wanting.. The Station nightclub in West Warwick burned down on Feb. 20, 2003, during a concert by rock band Great White, leaving 100 people dead and more than 200 injured. The flanking gerbs became the principal cause of the fire. I refused to accept that as the outcome. It just so happens that we're . I try to say it in the lightest way possible, she said. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. I just don't find him as guilty of anything. Cassidy was questioned by Customs and Border Protection in 2016, three sources familiar with the probe . So, before I knew it, this finger was contractured down in this position and the rest of them were all bent backwards because the skin had tightened up.". [60], Following Biechele's trial, The Station's owners, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, were scheduled to receive separate trials. Nightclub Fire", "3 indicted in R.I. rock concert fire - UPI Archives", "The Derderians are on a 'white-wash tour' about The Station fire, says father who lost son", "The strange and terrible true story of Great White, and the Station nightclub fire", "3 Men Are Indicted in Fire At Rhode Island Nightclub", "Foam company offers Station nightclub fire plaintiffs $6.3M settlement", "DAN BIECHELE SPEAKS Pre-Sentencing Statement GREAT WHITE TOUR MANAGER Station Nightclub Fire RI", "Fury, Tears and 4-Year Term in Deadly Blaze", "Band manager who ignited deadly Rhode Island nightclub fire freed from prison", "Manager Sentenced for Rhode Island Nightclub Fire", "Many families of Station fire victims supporting parole for band manager", "Band manager who ignited R.I. club fire is freed", "After prison, Biechele rebuilding life in Fla", "Derderians will plead; AG says he opposes sentencing deal", "2 Brothers to Plead No Contest in R.I. [9] Jeffrey Derderian said the door was also installed due to noise, and they had removed it as asked, but sometimes re-installed it if the venue was going to be loud that night, and it was used by the band to escape the building during the fire. [38] Derderian had begun working for WPRI on February 17, three days before the fire. once you could no longer see, it was total pandemonium. The Guest List is based in part on John Barylick's narrative non-fiction work, killer show, the station nightclub fire, America's deadliest rock concert. Hundreds of people ran to the only exit many of them knew the way they came in. When Laroque testified before the grand jury he claimed he never saw the foam. But I dont want it to define the rest of my life. Jeff Derderian: Because in my mind I had nothing to hide. You know people didn't react instantly. Dan McKee stopped by the memorial on the 20th anniversary of the fire Monday. The night of the fire Jeff Derderian gave a statement to the local police and another one to an investigator with the Attorney General's Office. "48 Hours" has confirmed the fax wasnotpresented to the grand jury. Bruce Cain also lost someone who he was prepared to spend the rest of his life with. [9] The lack of usable exits were also a factor, as was the inward door that Larocque had found and asked to be removed. Jim Axelrod: Describe The Station nightclub for me. Marc Goldbaum is the development producer. Scott James: The fire alarm you hear it kick in. Now in private practice, Lynch says he looked into a host of people. Jim Axelrod: And that's when the despair sinks in. [48] Some victims' families criticized the 48 Hours segment and the Derderians' involvement. [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. I'm so sorry for what I have done, and I don't want to cause anyone any more pain. PATRICK LYNCH [news interview]: Certainly, there are people we are looking at, ultimately, we may target. [76] Another memorial was later that night the West Warwick Civic Center. John Barylick is an attorney who represented victims in numerous wrongful death and personal injury cases arising from the Station nightclub fire. And it was ugly. She paused, her eyes tearing. Linda Saran: It's like a riptide. [48] The capacity for the Station was either 258 or 404, depending on how the building was being used. I kicked out a side window to try to get people out of there. WEST WARWICK, R.I. -- Five years . SAN JOSE (BCN) - Three people were injured in a shooting that occurred Saturday morning at San Jose's Aura nightclub. Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider, who is featured in a REELZ documentary about the Warwick, Rhode Island Station nightclub fire, which killed some 100 attendees of a Great White concert in 2003, Absolutely not. Joe Kinan was badly burned in the deadly Station Nightclub fire in Rhode Island that left 100 dead and 230 injured in February 2003 . Jody King: He was gregarious. [21] Twenty seconds after the pyrotechnics ended, the band stopped playing and lead singer Jack Russell calmly remarked into the microphone, "Wow that's not good. The tragedy, she said, heightened her appreciation of the life she was allowed, for whatever reason, to continue. [22] During the performance, pyrotechnics set off by tour manager Daniel Biechele ignited the flammable acoustic foam on both sides and the top center of the drummer's alcove at the back of the stage. [48] Larocque had set various capacities for the Station in the years prior to the fire based on whether pool tables and other items could be moved. I know how this tragedy has devastated me, but I can only begin to understand what the people who lost loved ones have endured. Michael Derderian: It would have been horrific to have people go through this. The pyrotechnics ignited the walls on either side of the stage and within seconds flames spread along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling of the club intended to dampen sound.