The tragedy, she said, heightened her appreciation of the life she was allowed, for whatever reason, to continue. Patrick Lynch: The type of foam was equal to gallons of gasoline. [28] By 1:30 a.m. on February 21, all patients had been transported and the street had been cleared. Phil Barr: It was getting harder and harder to breathe I could feel tightness and constriction in my chest. [60], Following Biechele's trial, The Station's owners, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, were scheduled to receive separate trials. For the first February in 15 years, Lisa Del Sesto said, she hasnt had the nightmares. This is the time to leave. 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. 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. He had an unlikely friend rooting for him. Today Phil Barr is married and a father of two little girls. It was that fast. Built in 1946, the wooden Station nightclub was grandfathered into an exception for laws requiring ceiling fire sprinklers. 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. But instead, I chose to run like a common coward.. he was very kind about it, but he said, "I don't ever see you competitively swimming again." One of them is never say die, never give up. [94] Russell's group made its first New England appearance in twelve years at a harvest festival in Mechanic Falls, Maine, in August 2015. The brothers have since learned that the fire marshal should have tested the foam on the wall. [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. They should have blamed more. The brothers have always maintained that they never gave the band permission to use pyrotechnics. And then on one side, I noticed it come over the top, and that's when I said, "I have to leave." It just so happens that we're . For the Derderians, the "full story" begins with the issue of permission. Michael Derderian: I don't know about that. Patrick Lynch: I don't think there's any question that had that door not been up a significant number of people would have survived. Linda Saran: I said, "you know what? 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. It was there, she said, that she found the best therapists: others who had been in the fire. "It's hard to describe the level of agony. Phil Barr: I went around the people trying to push to the front door. How did you meet him? It seems senseless that something like this could happen. Almost immediately the finger pointing started. 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. [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. 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. Season 1. The Station nightclub fire: What happened and who's to blame for The Derderians say despite their love for the club the business had peaked, and they were in the process of selling it. I went and laid down next to Deb and just waited to die. Jim Axelrod: How do you know he went in nine times? [9] Although Warner was called to testify to a grand jury, he was not asked about the fax. The Derderians bought the club as an investment. [83], In June 2003, the Station Fire Memorial Foundation (SFMF) was formed with the purpose of purchasing the property, to build and maintain a memorial. 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. Jim Axelrod: Do you feel, "Oh my goodness, we're in trouble?". Jody King: "Anybody see Tracy?" Michael Derderian: He's completely out of it. These are videos of prior performances taken inside the club. Tweet. Great White was part of the lawsuit. The Station nightclub owners Michael, left, and Jeffrey Derderian, right, pleaded no contest to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and agreed to a deal. Nothing lifts his despair. I ran across the room and I ran face-first into the wall. Jody King: He ran in and came out nine times in 90 seconds. [4] The nightclub was purchased by brothers Michael and Jeffrey Derderian in March 2000. Jeff Derderian: Why is it OK that the fire marshal is allowed to miss something or make a mistake and what he did was just an oops, but what we did was criminal? Michael Derderian: We say that they we're sorry for all of it. Even if he died trying. Todd King, a founder of The Station Family Fund, said today the fund . He apologized to the families of the victims and made no attempt to mitigate his guilt," the letter said. Jim Axelrod: When you come to, you're in a hospital room. "[55] Biechele was released in March 2008. She spoke with the Globe about Jefferey and Michael Derderian, the . once you could no longer see, it was total pandemonium. Jim Axelrod: Were you a fan of the band Great White? The story of three survivors that were trapped when the massive Cypress Street viaduct collapsed. undisputable. But he didn't know what. It had to be two minutes tops before the whole place was black smoke. When I turned around, some people were already trying to leave, and others were just sitting there going, "Yeah, that's great!" He was the. This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 14:21. Kat Teurfs is the associate producer. Survivors of the Station nightclub fire reflect on tragedy's 20th [2], In the months prior to the fire, the building had been inspected twice by West Warwick fire marshal Denis Larocque. Jody King: Hopped out of bed, grabbed my clothes, grabbed my keys, hopped in the car and took off. "We wanted the full story to come out, not just some of it, and for people who want to come to their own conclusion on what happened that night," says Jeff Derderian. 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. You should be proud." And I fell down the stairs, out that door. The Guest List is a strikingly visual film. Nightclub Fire", "Judge Accepts Plea Deal in Rhode Island Fire", "Co-owner of R.I. club where 100 died to be released early", "Band to pay $1M in case over deadly club fire", "Great White offers $1M to settle fatal fire suits", "Derderians reach settlement in nightclub fire", "Governments offer $20 million in RI nightclub fire", "Packaging company settles in R.I. nightclub fire", "McLaughlin & Moran, Anheuser-Busch offer $21M settlement in Station fire case", "Home Depot Settles In R.I. Susan Nicol. Jeff Derderian: We tried to get as far as we could. Scott James: It smelled like spilled beer and stale cigarettes and everything was just a little bit frayed at the edge. Jim Axelrod: The brothers say," wait a minute, we ordered sound foam. [21] A total of 462 people were in attendance, even though the club's maximum licensed capacity was cited as 404.[2]. If they stood up and said, small business owners, we were inexperienced. "Literally laid there and said, 'God please just take care of my family,' because I knew I was going to die,'" survivor Linda Saran recalls. Updated on: October 24, 2021 / 2:07 AM On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. That happened in 2001. [78] The event raised at least $25,000 in donations for the Station Family Fund, and was broadcast in March by VH1 and VH1 Classic. Phil Barr: I couldn't hear alarms. That was his gift. 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. [11] For the 2003 tour, the band was billed as "Jack Russell's Great White". And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through," explains Scott James. The fire started shortly after Great White began performing their opening number, "Desert Moon". [21], Among those who died in the fire were Great White guitarist Ty Longley, and the show's emcee, WHJY DJ Mike "The Doctor" Gonsalves. The second was the time from that night until the dedication of the memorial last spring. The Derderians say that in the three years they owned the club, no one ever questioned the safety of the foam and say the club was inspected by their insurance company, and multiple times by the local Fire Marshal Denis Laroque. First of all, I don't know you would, how would you how would you accomplish the detail and the amount of new information in a news conference or, you know, a commercial or something that we would try and do on our own. A California woman who had been injured in an accident and hadnt left her house in five years wrote her, she said. 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. The blaze began when the band Jack Russell's Great White took the stage and their tour manager set off four large fireworks. It was already in contract. [22] Biechele used four gerbs that were set to spray sparks 15 feet (4.6m) for fifteen seconds. It was completely preventable. I don't know that I'll ever forgive myself for what happened that night, so I can't expect anybody else to. Survivors and friends of survivors active in the effort to turn the nightclub site in West Warwick into a memorial park recount the emotional journeys that brought them from 2003 to 2018.. 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 is now mandatory for nightclubs with occupancy over 150 to have them. [95][49], Neither version of Great White performed in any of the six New England states for over a decade following the fire. [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. Last year, he was charged with striking a woman for whom he was a caretaker. Station Fire Memorial Park, a permanent memorial to the victims of the fire, was opened in May 2017 at the site where the Station once stood. The first was her life before Feb. 20, 2003. SAN JOSE (BCN) - Three people were injured in a shooting that occurred Saturday morning at San Jose's Aura nightclub. Within six minutes, the entire building was engulfed in flames. [9] In 2005, the Rhode Island Attorney General office received a fax from Barry Warner, a former employee of American Foam who lived nearby the Station, who claimed the company had known about the dangers of polyurethane foam but did not warn their employees about it. 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. Survivor Phil Barr arrived to The Station early the night of the concert. In Memoriam: Victims of the Station Nightclub Fire - WPRI.com That's all I can keep seeing in my head. "We have 39 confirmed fatalities, and we are still in the process of searching the rubble. When Laroque testified before the grand jury he claimed he never saw the foam. Today marks the 20th anniversary of The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, RI, which killed 100 people. Follow Boston.com on Instagram (Opens in a New Tab), Follow Boston.com on Twitter (Opens in a New Tab), Like Boston.com on Facebook (Opens in a New Tab), R.I. State House homeless encampment removed after legal fight, After the 80th anniversary of the tragic fire, a Cocoanut Grove memorial is coming to Boston, This affordable airline says it will bring at least 20 routes to an R.I. airport. Station Benefit Concert Nets $25,000 After Broadcast The loss is still fresh for her cousins, she said, even 15 years later. In the stampede, 21 people were killed. Jim Axelrod: Who's responsible for that foam going up on the wall? 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Access remains open to the public, and memorial services are held each February 20. DANIEL BIECHELE [at sentencing hearing in tears]: I don't know that I will ever forgive myself for what happened that night. 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. Flames soon appeared on the walls on either side of the stage and spread quickly along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling, intended to dampen sound. They were friends. JACK RUSSELL [news interview]: We never do anything without asking permission first. Bruce Cain also lost someone who he was prepared to spend the rest of his life with. Jeff Derderian: I don't know. [43][45], An investigation of the fire by a Rhode Island state grand jury was started by then-Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch on February 26, 2003. Legal action against several parties, including Great White, were resolved with monetary settlements by 2008. PATRICK LYNCH [press conference]: We have an investigation on going and we need help, we need answers and I'm trying to get them. And then we've got the pressure from the judge saying you know, you're going to go to jail for 30 years apiece. 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.". Linda Saran still places much of it on the Derderian brothers. "[23] Within 40 seconds of the ignition, Great White had stopped playing and left the stage and the venue's fire alarm began to sound, but it was not connected to local fire department. Patrick Lynch: They are running the operation. Scott James: I decided I would start asking some questions. He threw my wife, my cousin, my uncle, my sister out a window." Judy Tygard is the executive producer. Warner lived next to The Station and had met the brothers. [89] "I don't think I could ever sing that song again," said Russell. Phil Barr awoke after three weeks in a medically induced coma and was told his lungs had been badly damaged. Published on August 10, 2017 09:05 AM. Inside The Inferno: The Station Nightclub Fire | Thought Catalog 2021, shooting at a San Jose rail station. [56], The sentence drew mixed reactions in the courtroom. He was out there, and he just loved being in the center. In December 2003, nine months after the fire, Jeff and Michael Derderian were in court, each charged with 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter 100 for criminal negligence, and 100 for misdemeanor manslaughter. I'm so sorry for what I have done, and I don't want to cause anyone any more pain. 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. Jim Axelrod: Does this mean you feel a sense of responsibility? Isn't that an important fact in determining who's at fault? The February 25 concert at the Dunkin' Donuts Center was broadcast Sunday night on VH1 and VH1 Classic. But she said she also wants to keep the people she has met from that night, who she sees as friends and not sharers of a horrible experience. Michael Derderian: But that door became impassable almost within seconds because clearly there's foam that's burning at 800 or 1,500 degrees. Three days after the station fire, Jody King finally got the news that his brother Tracy's body had been found. Jeff Derderian: There's so many things that factor into the decision to do that. Biechele was released from prison on March 19, 2008. So, to the people who think we don't own it I'm telling you, we DO own it ok? Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Station fire, 15 years later: Survivors tell their stories [84] In September 2012, the owner of the land, Ray Villanova, donated the site to the SFMF. Jim Axelrod is the chief investigative correspondent and senior national correspondent for CBS News, reporting for "CBS This Morning," "CBS Evening News," "CBS Sunday Morning" and other CBS News broadcasts. For those who lived through it or lost a loved one, healing from the horrific scars, both physical and emotional, takes time. But never once do they say, "we screwed up." That was in like the 80s. He don't know. 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. [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. There is one consistent thing I have learned after 18 years in the Jody King: I'm so proud to say he's my brother. Stay up to date with everything Boston. 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. Do you understand that anger? One guy did crawl out. Those who were trapped inside The Station when the flames started knew they needed to get out fast. As it turns out, the foam they used was highly flammable. Linda Saran was a regular at The Station. "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. In the other rooms, the smoke hadn't gotten to them, the flame wasn't that bad, they didn't think anything of it. 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? [49][50], Lynch told 48 Hours that his investigation found that the fire spread quickly due to the foam the Derderians had installed in the Station's walls and ceilings as a response to noise complaints. And I said my hands won't work. That day let her put a period on the last sentence of Chapter Two, she said. [9] Two gerbs were at 45-degree angles, with the middle two pointing straight up. He trusted the owners. The brother's plea deal stated only one of them would go to prison. It's like a surge of bodies. I refused to accept that as the outcome. REELZ announces documentary about Great White club fire "[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. Michael owned a financial services business; Jeff was a local news reporter. We talk about fire safety a bit, I dont get too, too far into it.. 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 Jim Axelrod: Did either of you know anything about running a nightclub? That's when I turned back. The fire was now out of control; it had spread along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling intended to dampen sound. [48], Following the tragedy, Governor Donald Carcieri declared a moratorium on pyrotechnic displays at venues that hold fewer than 300 people. It was the fourth deadliest fire in a nightclub in US history. Linda Saran: Second- and-third-degree burns, over 34 percent of my body from the heat. The roof was caving in, walls were caving in, body after body in front of me. The brothers decided that because Jeff had young kids, Michael would go. [30] Longley reportedly died after returning to the building to retrieve his guitar. This is a company that did little to educate their employees about the limits of polyurethane foam. Barr says when he came to, he felt excruciating pain near the base of his spine and burning on his face. And Paul Vanner didnt like what he saw. She wrote a book, meets with burn victims, talks to fire departments and fire safety groups across the country. So many ways this could have been avoided, Matthew Hoffman, an East Greenwich, R.I. resident, told WPRI. it was happening so fast, fast, fast, fast. There's an exit near the stage. [28], Of the 462 people in the building for the concert, 100 were killed, 230 were injured, and 132 escaped uninjured. Michael Derderian: Correct. At the time of The Station fire, older clubs in Rhode Island weren't required to install sprinklers. In September 2008, The Jack Russell Tour Group Inc. offered $1 million in a settlement to survivors and victims' relatives. Jim Axelrod: When the foam came, was there anything on the packaging that indicated that it was highly flammable? And that song reminds us of that night. I've been after this bike for over 4 years and I finally got the call! The shooting was first reported at 12:04 a.m. in the 300 block of S. 1st . 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: And that's when the despair sinks in. Scott James: They only have about 60 seconds to get out of the building if they're going to live. People say they just feel peaceful, Russo told the Globe. Dan McKee honored the victims, their families, and the first responders who saved many lives. [12] Russell's relation with some survivors and families has been strained, although he remains close to Longley's family. The Guest List: The Station Nightclub Fire, America's Deadliest Rock Concert will premiere on Sunday, February 20, 2022. The fire was the fourth-deadliest at a nightclub in U.S. history, and the second-deadliest in New England, behind the 1942 Cocoanut Grove fire, which resulted in 492 deaths. [89] The band raised $185,000 for the Station Family Fund during the tour. Patrick Lynch: I can't remember, honestly. I come down every year and play the [bagpipes], he told WCVB. Patrick Lynch: You're telling me it wasn't, and I don't know that it wasn't. The fire began as rock band Great White played to the crowd. 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. We're running out of time." And so, when the fire inspector came in and said that that door had to come down the door, the door did come down. It was like what? [90] The band initially retired "Desert Moon", the song they were performing when the fire began, from their concert set list. [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. A staggering 100 lives were lost. Lynch also points out that the exits were a safety issue. "[91], Two years to the day after the fire, band members Russell and Kendall, along with Great White's attorney, Ed McPherson, appeared on CNN's Larry King Live with three survivors of the fire and the father of Longley, to discuss how their lives had changed since the incident. It had to end, for me and it ended in the most beautiful way.. The night of the fire, hundreds of people gathered at The Station to see the band Great White. [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. [104] The legislation would create a tax incentive for property owners to install fire sprinkler systems. then as it heals, the scarring tightens up. SAVE | California Fire Foundation Share. To the right is this much larger space in front of a stage. At the time of the fire, he had just started a new job closer to home in Providence at the local CBS station. 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. Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter, and Michael and Jeff Derderian pleaded no contest. [21] The Station did not have a sprinkler system installed. [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. [103], Inspired by the fire, the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act has been proposed United States Senate and House of Representatives since 2003. [2][46] On December 9, 2003, the grand jury announced indictments against Station owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian and Great White road manager Daniel M. Patrick Lynch: First of all, I think it's pathetic, disgusting and unsettling to think that they're even speaking now The foam that they put up had a direct impact on the survivability of the bulk of the people that were assembled that night. In a statement, Rhode Island Gov. According to Bostonherald.com, a memorial fund that raises money for survivors of The Station nightclub fire received at least $25,000 in donations after a benefit concert aired on television, organizers said today.. Robin Petrarca was in New York City three weeks ago, looking for some laughs in a comedy club. Inspection records showed that just three months before the fire, the Derderians had been cited by the local fire marshal for having a secondary, interior door by the stage that opened inward, which violated regulations. It was crowded, and it was getting bad.