Linda Saran: It's like a riptide. I couldn't hear screaming anymore.
In Memoriam: Victims of the Station Nightclub Fire - WPRI.com Linda Saran: The night of the fire I got in for free. But even more than walking, Phil wanted to return to swimming. [61], In January 2008, the Parole Board decided to grant Michael Derderian an early release; he was scheduled to be released from prison in September 2009, but was granted his release in June 2009 for good behavior.[64]. Absolutely not. This is solid gasoline. 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. And why wasn't the foam company charged? After the fire, multiple civil and criminal cases were filed. I never imagined that anyone ever would be. Vanner doesnt know when the night will be over. I've been after this bike for over 4 years and I finally got the call! JACK RUSSELL [news interview]: Rock and Roll is supposed to be fun, not deadly you know. In the aftermath, Vanner battled an addiction to crack cocaine and alcohol, which he used to cope but which cost him jobs and his drivers license. It was really everything to me at that time. 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. Cold air washing over me. It was completely preventable. And I stood up. [tears up] And the roof and just everything just fast, too fast. That's what the code says. 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. First published on October 23, 2021 / 11:18 PM. And people stood and watched it, and some people backed off. [59], Biechele's parole and probation expired in March 2011. However, on September 21, 2006, Judge Darigan announced that the brothers had changed their pleas from "not guilty" to "no contest," thereby avoiding a trial. But I made a choice. The Guest List: The Station Nightclub Fire, America's Deadliest Rock Concert will premiere on Sunday, February 20, 2022.
On the 19th Anniversary of The Station Nightclub Fire, "America'S 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. He is now seven years sober from cocaine, although alcohol is a more pestering problem, he says. 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. [44] The NIST report was released on March 3, 2005 and was made available in two parts on June 30, 2005. Honored to have been able to attend such an in depth and eye opening training opportunity. 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. I went around back. The following day the brothers responded at a press conference: JEFF DERDERIAN: No permission was ever requested by the band or any of its agents to use pyrotechnics at The Station, and no permission was ever given. Witnesses of the nearly mile-wide tornado recount how they managed to survive. I noticed when the pyro stopped, the flame had kept going on both sides. [5] Local bands that had played at the Station prior to the fire had used pyrotechnics during their concerts without incident, including a Kiss tribute band that had set off fireballs during their show in August 2002. [96] By 2013, Russell's group had resumed playing "Desert Moon". That effort raised about $10,000 over seven years to help pay for the construction of the memorial park. Scott James: It should not have happened.
He sees his actions as a verdict on his own humanity. Jody King: "Anybody see Tracy?" As we hold those impacted by this tragedy close in our hearts, we also remember the remarkable and courageous actions of first responders, public safety officials, medical professionals, and Rhode Islanders who sprang into action to save lives on that day and who worked to comfort their communities in the days and weeks following.. [60] As of 2013[update], Biechele lived in Florida with his wife and two children. [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. Scott James: I decided I would start asking some questions. When King arrived, he saw the devastating scene. [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. [89] "I don't think I could ever sing that song again," said Russell. 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. Vanner spoke about how his life derailed after 11:07 p.m. on Feb. 20, 2003. The brothers have since learned that the fire marshal should have tested the foam on the wall. One of them is never say die, never give up. [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. Jim Axelrod: The brothers say," wait a minute, we ordered sound foam. Gina Russo of Cranston, R.I. is a survivor of the Station nightclub fire and president of The Station Fire Memorial Foundation. [4] No occupants were in the building during the 1972 fire, but the interior was significantly damaged. 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. 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. Obviously the nightclub was not in compliance, and there never should have been pyrotechnics, but there's no evidence the bouncers blocked people from . Jody King: They blamed three. The tragedy, she said, heightened her appreciation of the life she was allowed, for whatever reason, to continue. Brandon Fravale, a survivor of The Station nightclub fire, speaks with NBC 10 on how he copes with survivor's guilt.
"Barn Find" Harley Davidson Shovelhead Custom Survivor Found - YouTube [39] WPRI-TV and Derderian were criticized for the conflict of interest in having a reporter do a report concerning his own property. "[55] Biechele was released in March 2008. DANIEL BIECHELE [at sentencing hearing in tears]: I don't know that I will ever forgive myself for what happened that night. Jody King: He went on David Letterman twice to do Stupid Human Tricks. [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. [12] Great White's popularity had waned in the decade prior to the Station fire, and they had been performing on a touring circuit of small clubs with capacities of up to 500 people. The Station was a nightclub that was located on the corner of Cowesett Avenue and Kulas Road in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Phil Barr: Yep. [48] The capacity for the Station was either 258 or 404, depending on how the building was being used. He doesn't know. Russo said that the memorial serves a valuable purpose today for those who knew victims. ", "We are now at 65, and that may be higher ", Jeff Derderian: "Can you come in? [1] The building that would become The Station was built in 1946 and was originally used as a gin mill. Last year, he was charged with striking a woman for whom he was a caretaker. That's when I turned back. [51], Victims' families have also cited overcrowding in the venue as a cause for the causalities during the fire. 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. We couldn't make it. He says he managed to escape through the front door before a stampede of people got stuck in the narrow hallway and blocked the exit. But Jeff Derderian, who was helping out at the bar, says he and an employee tried to get to the stage with a fire extinguisher. 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. Linda Saran: I could have missed it all. JACK RUSSELL [news interview]: We never do anything without asking permission first. Vanner has no excuses. She wrote a book, meets with burn victims, talks to fire departments and fire safety groups across the country. Jeff Derderian: None of the inspections and then follow-up inspections. Patrick Lynch: I don't think anybody in anything that they did wanted anybody to die that night or get injured. I don't even like to talk about it. [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. Jim Axelrod: And then it just got engulfed in flames? Jeff Derderian: this is flammable you can't have this. I could have missed that My friends that didn't survive that night have missed that. it became very, very hard to breathe. [95], Russell performed a benefit show in February 2013 in Hermosa Beach, California in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the fire.
Enduring and remembering: The Station fire 20 years later But the night of the fire it was up to help cut down the noise. Michael Derderian: Jeffrey was responsible for all the marketing activities. Michael Derderian: He's completely out of it. And outside I went. Michael Derderian: It would have been horrific to have people go through this. We're running out of time." After 15 years of it being a dominant part of her everyday life, she said she is ready for it to be a part of her past.
The Guest List: Documentary about The Station nightclub fire will 2003 deadly fire at a rock concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island, USA, Great White, Jack Russell, and Mark Kendall, National Institute of Standards and Technology, "The Station nightclub fire 10 years later: Healing continues as West Warwick, Rhode Island, takes next step in recovery", "The Station Fire: Timeline of a tragedy", "Station tragedy leads to tougher fire code", "Report of the Technical Investigation of The Station Nightclub Fire (NIST NCSTAR 2), Volume 1", "Beyond grief: Trying to make sense out of the Station tragedy", "Tragedy Catches Up to a Metal Band Past Its Prime", "Great White Fireworks Set Off a Controversy", "The Station nightclub fire: What happened and who's to blame for disaster that killed 100? He wasnt charged with a crime, but his thoughts punish him. Updated on: October 24, 2021 / 2:07 AM 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 manslaughter. Those who were trapped inside The Station when the flames started knew they needed to get out fast. The result is poignant footage contrasting very different life stories. They would want to talk, she said, and they wouldnt freak. Jim Axelrod: Were you a fan of the band Great White? "We have 39 confirmed fatalities, and we are still in the process of searching the rubble. I ran across the room and I ran face-first into the wall. Fifteen years since that terrible night. This article was originally published on Oct. 22, 2021. The first was her life before Feb. 20, 2003. 0:57. Dont take life for granted and I miss her every day She was my world and now shes my angel.. [100], Gonsalves was inducted into the Rhode Island Radio and Television Hall of Fame in 2013. Patrick Lynch: I can't remember, honestly. [85] By April 2016, $1.65 million of the $2 million fundraising goal had been achieved and construction of the Station Fire Memorial Park had commenced. (crying) So I can't expect anybody else to. Michael Derderian: Remember, I'm still in Florida. 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. ", "20 years later, the effects of the Station nightclub fire still linger - The Boston Globe", "The Great White Nightclub Fire: Ten Years Later", "In West Warwick firefighters' hearts, the disaster isn't over", "How a West Warwick restaurant became a triage center for burn victims", "20th anniversary of New England nightclub fire that killed 100", "State supreme court to review penalty for employee deaths in R.I. fire - UPI.com", "Workers comp. Jody King: He trusted the club. [24] The first West Warwick fire engine arrived at the scene at 11:13 p.m., followed by three other trucks shortly thereafter. [15][16] All the members of Trip escaped the Station without injury, but two members of Fathead, cousins Keith and Steven Mancini, died in the fire. 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. Season 1.
The Station nightclub fire: What happened and who's to blame for In 2008, the band agreed to pay $1. 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. They all say I never would have stopped it, and I probably wouldnt have. [76] Another memorial was later that night the West Warwick Civic Center. For the Derderians, the "full story" begins with the issue of permission. Linda Saran: That's when you make a decision. 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. [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. [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. And people just stood there. To satisfy noise complaints from neighbors, the brothers had installed foam along the club's walls and ceilings.
Survivor of The Station nightclub fire reflects on 20th anniversary The brothers decided that because Jeff had young kids, Michael would go. They didn't even let him talk about it. It was liquid fire," says former Attorney General Patrick Lynch, who investigated the disaster. Linda Saran: They have said they were sorry. [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. Petrarca remembers one of the most beautiful moments shes had. S01:E03 - Station Nightclub Fire. According to Lynch, under Rhode Island law, the fire marshal could not be criminally charged unless there was evidence of bad faith or malice. it was also on fire. [84] In September 2012, the owner of the land, Ray Villanova, donated the site to the SFMF. It was there, she said, that she found the best therapists: others who had been in the fire. WEST WARWICK, R.I. The owners of The Station nightclub say their decision to finally speak publicly about the deadly fire there nearly . Great White's tour manager Daniel Biechele also faced the same charges. 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. Published on August 10, 2017 09:05 AM. He trusted the owners.
Survivors of The Station nightclub fire struggle with guilt 20 years They go for 15 seconds and they go 15 feet into the air. This is the main bar where you can get your drinks. 9. [20], Great White started their performance at 11:07 p.m. on February 20. "I literally baked alive," says Linda Barr. " In February 2008, Providence television station. Patrick Lynch: while troubling, concerning, maddening it doesn't mean that somebody should be charged or can be. [12] The rest of the lineup included guitarist Ty Longley, who died in the fire, bass guitarist Dave Felice, and drummer Eric Powers. [28] By 1:30 a.m. on February 21, all patients had been transported and the street had been cleared. Two years after the fire at The Station nightclub, the Derderians learned about a piece of evidence they say is important that was never presented to the grand jury: an eight-page fax sent to the Attorney General's Office anonymously just months after the fire entitled "The Fire. Jeff Derderian: Because in my mind I had nothing to hide. [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. [4] The nightclub was purchased by brothers Michael and Jeffrey Derderian in March 2000. You see on your left the horseshoe-shaped bar. The third started that day. 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.
The Station nightclub fire: What happened, how many died, who was The Station nightclub owners Michael, left, and Jeffrey Derderian, right, pleaded no contest to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and agreed to a deal. The charge is pending. I had the fire extinguisher in my hand, Vanner said. As a human being how do you not feel some sort of responsibility for that ? 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.". One of the angles Lynch investigated was the Derderian brothers. They said a critical piece of evidence was never presented to the grand jury. 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? Linda Saran was a regular at The Station. Jim Axelrod: When you come to, you're in a hospital room. This is a company that did little to educate their employees about the limits of polyurethane foam. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy.
Joshua Sanders, MS, IAAI-CFI on LinkedIn: ATF_NCETR on Twitter Petrarca was sitting near the bar that night in 2003, about five feet from a door, when the fire broke out. On May 20, 2003, nondenominational services began to be held at the site of the fire for a number of months. There had to be that period for me. [7][8] They were best known for their 1989 cover of Ian Hunter's "Once Bitten, Twice Shy", which reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. But for anyone who was in The Station nightclub on Feb. 20, 2003, she said, a night out triggers an awareness. Share. I needed for that day to come, she said. Both the brothers had other jobs. Patrick Lynch: They are running the operation. I thought how terrible it was that my daughter was going to grow up without her mom. [9] Two gerbs were at 45-degree angles, with the middle two pointing straight up. 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. It didn't have a lock on it. Why had the fire spread so quickly? 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. Gina Russo, a survivor of The Station nightclub fire.
(WATCH) The Station Nightclub Fire is Remembered in the Documentary That evening she had a girl's night out with a friend while her young daughter was at a sleepover. But it's fun. You walk on the property, and it doesnt feel tragic anymore. Eighteen years later, there was no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. Jody King: I see the horror. So, I actually got a really good sense of the layout of the venue.". It just so happens that we're . Because so many people that were there don't have that opportunity.
Survivor of Rhode Island Station Nightclub Fire Rebuilds His Life 14 I went and laid down next to Deb and just waited to die. Barr says when he came to, he felt excruciating pain near the base of his spine and burning on his face. In fact, they did the opposite.". Since 2003, the approach of the anniversary of the Station fire, where she and her twin sister, Cara Ann, got out unhurt while 100 others died and about 200 more were injured, was four weeks of dread.
SAVE | California Fire Foundation [63] Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch objected strenuously to the plea bargain, saying that both brothers should have received jail time and that Michael Derderian should have received more time than Biechele. I kicked out a side window to try to get people out of there. Her father wont visit the memorial, and it took her years to be able to drive down Cowesett Avenue, she said. Its surreal. Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter, and Michael and Jeff Derderian pleaded no contest. It is the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. Patrick Lynch: Did he do his job perfectly? Jeff Derderian: They didn't even bring up the fax to him. [90] The band initially retired "Desert Moon", the song they were performing when the fire began, from their concert set list. The state of Rhode Island is small," says author Scott James. Lynch also points out that the exits were a safety issue. These TIAs were subsequently incorporated into the 2006 edition of NFPA 101, along with additional exit requirements for new nightclub occupancies. The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., was on fire .
The Station Nightclub Fire is Remembered in the Documentary - Yurview 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. As it turns out, the foam they used was highly flammable. The trunk bears the names of the fire victims. [60], Following Biechele's trial, The Station's owners, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, were scheduled to receive separate trials. He wrote: "This is a company that is well aware of the dangers of polyurethane foam. He was the. The Guest List is a strikingly visual film. Scott James: They only have about 60 seconds to get out of the building if they're going to live. As the crowd bottlenecked at the clubs entrance, thick black smoke poured out of the building and over their heads. Phil Barr [teary-eyed]: Getting another opportunity to live my life came with enormous responsibility. I refused to accept that as the outcome. Jeff Derderian: That door was meant to block the noise from the neighbors.