station nightclub fire survivors list
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. [36] Butler was there for a planned piece on nightclub safety being reported by Jeffrey A. Derderian, a WPRI news reporter who was also a part-owner of The Station. As we mark 20 years since that night, here are those who. "There really weren't that many people around early in the night. [28], Of the 462 people in the building for the concert, 100 were killed, 230 were injured, and 132 escaped uninjured. 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. [25] Fire departments in Warwick, Coventry, and Cranston rendered mutual aid to the fire site. 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. I come down every year and play the [bagpipes], he told WCVB. The State of Rhode Island and the town of West Warwick agreed to pay $10 million as settlement. We're running out of time." 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. One near the bar. 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. [31], Four employees of the Station were killed in the fire. Scott James: It was a typical kind of roadside dive. Eighteen years later, there was no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. Now, Russo leads the Station Fire Memorial Foundation, which oversees a memorial that stands where the nightclub once went up in flames, The Boston Globe reported. [60], Following Biechele's trial, The Station's owners, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, were scheduled to receive separate trials. There is one consistent thing I have learned after 18 years in the She sees telling the story of the Station fire as a way of preventing others from going through the same thing. [78], On the twentieth anniversary of the fire on February 20, 2023, Rhode Island governor Dan McKee ordered flags in Rhode Island lowered to half-staff for the day and the Rhode Island State House to be illuminated in memory of the 100 victims. I would see the burn survivors, whom Im lucky enough to call friends, Del Sesto said. 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. We talk about fire safety a bit, I dont get too, too far into it.. I cant do it for the rest of my life, she said. The roof was caving in, walls were caving in, body after body in front of me. And then, ever so slowly, he learned to walk again. [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. I will never forget that night, and I will never forget the people that were hurt by it. The brothers have since learned that the fire marshal should have tested the foam on the wall. And I knew the window was to my left. He threw my wife, my cousin, my uncle, my sister out a window." Michael Derderian: No. [93] After a 2013 legal settlement between the two parties, Kendall's band retained the Great White name, while Russell's band was allowed to use the name Jack Russell's Great White. Scott James: It smelled like spilled beer and stale cigarettes and everything was just a little bit frayed at the edge. 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. Phil Barr fought to breathe on his own. 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. 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. [40][37] Derderian resigned from WPRI on June 30. [51], Victims' families have also cited overcrowding in the venue as a cause for the causalities during the fire. Petrarca was sitting near the bar that night in 2003, about five feet from a door, when the fire broke out. I found my soul was wanting.. [33] One survivor claimed that a bouncer blocked a side door as attendees attempted to escape the building, stating the door was only to be used by the band. Great White was part of the lawsuit. To the families of those who died on that devastating day: Rhode Island will never forget your loved ones and we will always stand by you, McKee said in the statement. He still remembers that deadly night. [101], The Derderian brothers conducted their first television interview about the fire in 2021 for 48 Hours. It was already in contract. But their plans for the future would suddenly change. Fifteen years since that terrible night. And I turned around, I said, "Get out, get out, get to the door, get to the door!" local Four nonstop. [2], Prior to being converted into a nightclub and concert venue, the Station building had been used as a restaurant and tavern. They all say I never would have stopped it, and I probably wouldnt have. Gina Russo of Cranston, R.I. is a survivor of the Station nightclub fire and president of The Station Fire Memorial Foundation. [89] "I don't think I could ever sing that song again," said Russell. [12] The rest of the lineup included guitarist Ty Longley, who died in the fire, bass guitarist Dave Felice, and drummer Eric Powers. [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. [4] In 1985, it was converted to a pub, which closed sometime in the late 1980s, and a nightclub was opened in its place in 1991. It was the fourth deadliest fire in a nightclub in US history. 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. Cassidy was questioned by Customs and Border Protection in 2016, three sources familiar with the probe . You should be proud." 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. I did not lead them out, he said dismissively. There had to be that period for me. Jeff Derderian: I remember we were trying to get people away from the building. [90] Russell planned to donate the proceeds to the Station Fire Memorial Foundation, but the organization asked to be disassociated from the concert, citing the animosity still felt by many of the survivors and surviving families. They are speaking out about the fire for the first time. Isn't that an important fact in determining who's at fault? Because so many people that were there don't have that opportunity. Since the fire, I have wanted to tell the victims and their families how truly sorry I am for what happened that night and the part that I had in it. [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. The fire began as rock band Great White played to the crowd. They go for 15 seconds and they go 15 feet into the air. Del Sesto said her life is told in three chapters now. [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. Jody King: I'm so proud to say he's my brother. 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.. [81] In August 2016, the site was reported to have been being used as a PokeStop in Pokmon Go, to uproar from victims' families. Michael spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. The fire seemed to burn quickly, she added. I have to find him. [30] Longley reportedly died after returning to the building to retrieve his guitar. [9], The foam was sold to the Derderians by American Foam. The Station was a nightclub that was located on the corner of Cowesett Avenue and Kulas Road in West Warwick, Rhode Island. [48] The grand jury also did not return charges against Russell. He said if there's. But I made a choice. 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 People recall the events of the fourth deadliest night club fire in U.S. history. Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter, and Michael and Jeff Derderian pleaded no contest. Built in 1946, the wooden Station nightclub was grandfathered into an exception for laws requiring ceiling fire sprinklers. He wrote: "This is a company that is well aware of the dangers of polyurethane foam. The answer is no. He spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. The brothers sent a fax to the foam company specifically asking for sound foam. Its surreal. [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. Susan Nicol. [4] The nightclub was purchased by brothers Michael and Jeffrey Derderian in March 2000. It looked like it was raining black fire. The Station Nightclub Fire: Who's Responsible? Phil Barr [teary-eyed]: Getting another opportunity to live my life came with enormous responsibility. [90] The band initially retired "Desert Moon", the song they were performing when the fire began, from their concert set list. Now in private practice, Lynch says he looked into a host of people. 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. Produced by Betsy Shuller and Chris Young Ritzen. I ran across the room and I ran face-first into the wall. Cold air washing over me. Many of the families believed that the punishment was just; others had hoped for a more severe sentence. Great White's tour manager Daniel Biechele also faced the same charges. But she refuses to live in the past. And outside I went. People say they just feel peaceful, Russo told the Globe. About a month after the fire Barr went home from the hospital. She spoke with the Globe about Jefferey and Michael Derderian, the . The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., was on fire . He had an unlikely friend rooting for him. So, to the people who think we don't own it I'm telling you, we DO own it ok? "48 Hours" is not showing any of that footage. [4] No occupants were in the building during the 1972 fire, but the interior was significantly damaged. Michael owned a financial services business; Jeff was a local news reporter. [92], Russell left Great White in 2010. So, it was not a great decision to use these inside a nightclub that only has 12-foot ceilings. As it turns out, the foam they used was highly flammable. 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. The Foam.". Sparks from the gerbs ignited the insulation foam, and flames were visible on the wall above the stage within nine seconds of their ignition. Dan Biechele, center, at his sentencing. Why had the fire spread so quickly? "[63] He added that the difference in the brothers' sentences reflected their respective involvement with the purchase and installation of the flammable foam. Michael Derderian: He finds the deficiencies, you have to correct the deficiencies and then signs off so that you so you can get your liquor license that happened in 2000. And I sent it to her and the best compliment I ever got was oh, his hairs fantastic.. A true hero would have gone for it, Vanner said. [104] The legislation would create a tax incentive for property owners to install fire sprinkler systems. [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.
station nightclub fire survivors list