[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. [9] The lack of usable exits were also a factor, as was the inward door that Larocque had found and asked to be removed. It was the fourth deadliest fire in a nightclub in US history. [24] The first West Warwick fire engine arrived at the scene at 11:13 p.m., followed by three other trucks shortly thereafter. Biechele and Michael Derderian went to prison. As a human being how do you not feel some sort of responsibility for that ? He was the. Like Barr, Linda Saran had also spent three weeks in a medically induced coma. I would forgive them in a heartbeat. How is it our responsibility if they gave us the wrong foam?". 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. And yet, at the point in time, I don't think I knew his name. I don't know that I'll ever forgive myself for what happened that night, so I can't expect anybody else to. This article was originally published on Oct. 22, 2021. Jeff Derderian: That door was meant to block the noise from the neighbors. Since The Station fire, many states have adopted stricter fire prevention codes. 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. "[58] The state parole board received approximately twenty letters, the majority of which expressed their sympathy and support for Biechele, some going as far as to describe him as a "scapegoat" with limited responsibility. Biechele. Most people still just stood there. And then on one side, I noticed it come over the top, and that's when I said, "I have to leave." The Station nightclub owners Michael, left, and Jeffrey Derderian, right, pleaded no contest to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and agreed to a deal. [56], The sentence drew mixed reactions in the courtroom. Linda Saran: Most of the crowd thought it was part of the show and didn't move. S01:E03 - Station Nightclub Fire. 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. Many of the families believed that the punishment was just; others had hoped for a more severe sentence. And I fell down the stairs, out that door. it was happening so fast, fast, fast, fast. [28], Of the 462 people in the building for the concert, 100 were killed, 230 were injured, and 132 escaped uninjured. And it was ugly. And that song reminds us of that night. [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. A West Warwick police officer who was already at the scene also reported the fire to police dispatch. [39] WPRI-TV and Derderian were criticized for the conflict of interest in having a reporter do a report concerning his own property. [21] The fire spread throughout the building and was completely engulfed within six minutes of the pyrotechnic ignition. I had the fire extinguisher in my hand, Vanner said. But I dont want it to define the rest of my life. 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? Patrick Lynch: Looking back on it I would say they ran it as a side business, an attempt to maybe make some extra money with the callous, utter disregard for those that work there and assemble there. [2] The club was cited for nine minor code violations during the first inspection in November 2002, but was not cited for the flammable polyurethane foam the venue used for soundproofing, which was against code. Doreen Schechter and Gary Winter are the editors. The night of the fire, hundreds of people gathered at The Station to see Great White, an 80s band now with some new members lead by singer Jack Russell and known mainly for their hit "Once Bitten, Twice Shy. 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. Scott James: When people arrive, they walk through this entrance and this kinda longish hallway. And, according to the brothers, it was one of the first exits used when the fire started. A California woman who had been injured in an accident and hadnt left her house in five years wrote her, she said. And the following year he was able to accomplish the impossible and rejoin his swim team. SAN JOSE (BCN) - Three people were injured in a shooting that occurred Saturday morning at San Jose's Aura nightclub. He was worried about his brother Tracy who worked there as a bouncer. Phil Barr: I couldn't hear alarms. [49] In 2013, Kendall told The Providence Journal that he maintained amicable contact with some survivors, victims' families, and the Station Fire Memorial Foundation. [76] Another memorial was later that night the West Warwick Civic Center. JACK RUSSELL [news interview]: We never do anything without asking permission first. The brothers sent a fax to the foam company specifically asking for sound foam. It was already in contract. Jody King: When he walked into a room, if there wasn't a smile he'd start balancing stuff to get you uplifted and smiling. [61] Michael Derderian received fifteen years in prison, with four to serve and eleven years suspended, plus three years' probationthe same sentence as Biechele. It was criminal, he says. The club was not equipped with sprinklers, according to the NIST, and crowding at the buildings main entrance made it difficult for people to escape. 2021, shooting at a San Jose rail station. For those who lived through it or lost a loved one, healing from the horrific scars, both physical and emotional, takes time. PROVIDENCE Over the years Dave Kane has had to find a place to store his outrage over losing his 18-year-old son, Nicholas, in The Station nightclub fire in 2003. Jody King: I'm so proud to say he's my brother. "It's hard to describe the level of agony. 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. So, to the people who think we don't own it I'm telling you, we DO own it ok? He apologized to the families of the victims and made no attempt to mitigate his guilt," the letter said. People say they just feel peaceful, Russo told the Globe. [21] Thick smoke began to fill the station one minute after the ignition and the crowd began to escape the building. View All 100 Memorials for the The Station Nightclub Fire Site. [6], Great White, the headlining band of the February 20 concert, had risen to fame as part of the glam metal scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s. The biggest question was, why had the fire spread so quickly? [32] In April 2003, The Derderians were fined $1.07 million for failing to carry workers' compensation insurance for their employees. "[63] He added that the difference in the brothers' sentences reflected their respective involvement with the purchase and installation of the flammable foam. [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. Its just one of those things thats ingrained in you.. That specific. 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. Michael Derderian: It would have been horrific to have people go through this. Club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian reached a settlement of $813,000 with survivors and victims' families in September 2008. But I made a choice. The Foam.". Hundreds of people ran to the only exit many of them knew the way they came in. Michael Derderian: That is correct. My parents taught us a lot, a lot of things. It made me realize, I might be only one person, but my story and my injuries were making people listen, she said. In the aftermath, West Warwick, Rhode Island TV news reporter Jeff Derderian wanted to run a story on nightclub safety. Jack Russell declined "48 Hours"' request for an interview. Phil Barr awoke after three weeks in a medically induced coma and was told his lungs had been badly damaged. Jody King: He ran in and came out nine times in 90 seconds. On May 10, 2006, State Prosecutor Randall White asked that Biechele be sentenced to ten years in prison, the maximum allowed under the plea bargain, citing the massive loss of life in the fire and the need to send a message. 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. Tracy King worked at The Station as a bouncer. But it's fun. Tracy died never giving up. Even if he couldnt. They didn't even let him talk about it. 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. Jim Axelrod: To people who feel that the two of you have never said we own this what do you say? The flanking gerbs became the principal cause of the fire. [49] The tour started five months after the fire, and each concert began with a prayer for survivors and families. Jim Axelrod: Who's responsible for that foam going up on the wall? On Feb. 20, 2003, 100 people were killed and more than 200 others were injured in a fire at the Station nightclub in West Warwick. Michael Derderian: The field test is crystal clear. After the fire, multiple civil and criminal cases were filed. The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., was on fire . February 20 is the 19th anniversary of the tragic fire that killed 100 and injured another 230 people at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. I noticed when the pyro stopped, the flame had kept going on both sides. The TIAs required automatic fire sprinklers in all existing nightclubs and similar locations that accommodate more than 100 occupants, and all new locations in the same categories. Dont take life for granted and I miss her every day She was my world and now shes my angel.. Phil Barr: I don't like to talk about it, but I remember feeling weight on top of me, and I'm pretty sure I crawled out from under another person to pull myself up. And I turned around, I said, "Get out, get out, get to the door, get to the door!" The shooting was first reported at 12:04 a.m. in the 300 block of S. 1st . I could have missed my daughter's high school graduation, the birth of her children. There is one consistent thing I have learned after 18 years in the 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. They should have blamed more. [9][10][8] At the time of their performance at the Station, Great White only had two of its original members in its lineup: Lead singer Jack Russell and guitarist Mark Kendall. [9], Thousands of mourners attended an interfaith memorial service at St. Gregory the Great Church in Warwick on February 24, 2003, to remember those lost in the fire. 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. "[55] Biechele was released in March 2008. 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.". [48], Following the tragedy, Governor Donald Carcieri declared a moratorium on pyrotechnic displays at venues that hold fewer than 300 people. He threw my wife, my cousin, my uncle, my sister out a window." 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, [1] The building that would become The Station was built in 1946 and was originally used as a gin mill. [4] Another restaurant opened in the building in 1974. Like you feel that kinship that, you know, "God, I really hope this guy makes it." It was there, she said, that she found the best therapists: others who had been in the fire. Linda Saran: They have said they were sorry. 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. He still remembers that deadly night. [25] Fire departments in Warwick, Coventry, and Cranston rendered mutual aid to the fire site. [95] When Russell launched his version of the band in 2012, Kendall's group responded that Russell had no right to use the name. I ran across the room and I ran face-first into the wall. More than 460 fans had crowded into the wooden, single-story, 4,480 -square-foot nightclub known as The Station in West Warwick, R.I., to enjoy a Thursday night show on Feb. 20, 2003. And I said my hands won't work. he was very kind about it, but he said, "I don't ever see you competitively swimming again." Jeff Derderian: That door was opened immediately and that's where the band went out. [59], Biechele's parole and probation expired in March 2011. But, you know, they have this following to this day . And a quarter of those people didn't get to go home ever," says survivor Linda Saran, who was severely burned in the fire at The Station nightclub. I will never forget that night, and I will never forget the people that were hurt by it. 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. [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. Barr was located between the stage and the front door. Jim Axelrod: And that's when the despair sinks in. Linda Saran: Second- and-third-degree burns, over 34 percent of my body from the heat. WEST WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) - Saturday marks the 18-year anniversary of the Station Nightclub fire that left lasting scars on numerous families and the state of Rhode Island.