Today, we mourn the 100 lives lost in the Station nightclub fire and the hundreds more whose lives will never be the same. 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? And 18 years after the fire, the brothers say they want to set the record straight and reveal new information. That happened in 2001. Jody King: I'm so proud to say he's my brother. Editor's Note: This story was originally published on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. When fireworks ignited the soundproofing foam on the stage wall, he ran for a fire extinguisher. As numerous violations of existing codes contributed to the severity of the fire, there was immediate effort to strengthen fire code protections. He said if there's. My friends were dead, my other friends are severely injured, I no longer look like myself. [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. Linda Saran: The night of the fire I got in for free. once you could no longer see, it was total pandemonium. Jody King kneels at his brother Tracy's memorial. I couldn't get up. And I hear [moves her arms to the side with a whoosh] and out Deb went. That effort raised about $10,000 over seven years to help pay for the construction of the memorial park. He was the. [28] By 1:30 a.m. on February 21, all patients had been transported and the street had been cleared. But that night, leading the cameraman around was bouncer Tracy King, a dedicated husband and father of three young boys. 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. A true hero would have gone for it, Vanner said. Taking her students to the memorial park and telling them what it means were ways of building that memory, she said. Linda Saran: It's like a riptide. "[58], Dave Kane and Joanne O'Neill, parents of youngest victim Nicholas O'Neill, released their letter to the board to reporters. Jody King: He ran in and came out nine times in 90 seconds. 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. According to Lynch, under Rhode Island law, the fire marshal could not be criminally charged unless there was evidence of bad faith or malice. 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. The pyrotechnics were gerbs, cylindrical devices that produce a controlled spray of sparks. The answer is no. A surgery to correct a childhood ailment with his ears left him able to balance objects on his chin. The second was the time from that night until the dedication of the memorial last spring. Del Sesto said her life is told in three chapters now. 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. It was there, she said, that she found the best therapists: others who had been in the fire. [84] In September 2012, the owner of the land, Ray Villanova, donated the site to the SFMF. Joe Kinan was badly burned in the deadly Station Nightclub fire in Rhode Island that left 100 dead and 230 injured in February 2003 . [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. Patrick Lynch: I don't think anybody in anything that they did wanted anybody to die that night or get injured. Biechele. 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. 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? One of them is never say die, never give up. 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. It made me realize, I might be only one person, but my story and my injuries were making people listen, she said. The four exits inside The Station: "There's an exit near the stage an exit through the kitchen. Sparks from the gerbs ignited the insulation foam, and flames were visible on the wall above the stage within nine seconds of their ignition. Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter, and Michael and Jeff Derderian pleaded no contest. But instead, I chose to run like a common coward.. 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. [58], On September 19, 2007, the Rhode Island Parole Board announced that Biechele would be released in March 2008. She paused, her eyes tearing. Biechele was released from prison on March 19, 2008. Linda Saran was a regular at The Station. Biechele was released from prison in 2008 after some families of the victims expressed their support for his parole. [101], The Derderian brothers conducted their first television interview about the fire in 2021 for 48 Hours. Witnesses of the nearly mile-wide tornado recount how they managed to survive. [42][43] The Station, which was built in 1946, was exempt from a sprinkler requirement in the state fire code through a grandfather clause, which stated that buildings constructed before 1976 were not required to have a sprinkler system. 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. Why had the fire spread so quickly? When King arrived, he saw the devastating scene. I went over, put my hands against the glass, and I started kicking at that window and it wouldn't break. It was that fast. I ran across the room and I ran face-first into the wall. S01:E03 - Station Nightclub Fire. some bleeding I could notice in my throat. He spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. American Foam said Warner's claims about the company are false. Jody King: They blamed three. 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.". [31], Four employees of the Station were killed in the 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. "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. 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. 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. Scott James has written a book about the tragedy called "Trial by Fire.". [tears up, shaking his head]. Jody King: Nine different families have come up to me and said "thank you for having a great brother. Jim Axelrod: Mr. Warner's fax wasn't presented to the grand jury, correct? Based upon its work, Tentative Interim Amendments (TIAs) were issued for the national standard "Life Safety Code" (NFPA 101), in July 2003. [25] Fire departments in Warwick, Coventry, and Cranston rendered mutual aid to the fire site. Kat Teurfs is the associate producer. She said she spent years after that in pain and anger. But Saturday night, as . 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. [89] "I don't think I could ever sing that song again," said Russell. 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. there was nothing that would make it so you couldn't get out of it. And I never expected it to take off as fast as it did. One guy did crawl out. [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. A West Warwick police officer who was already at the scene also reported the fire to police dispatch. 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. And people stood and watched it, and some people backed off. Jim Axelrod: Did you have enough time to form those complete thoughts? [9] Although Warner was called to testify to a grand jury, he was not asked about the fax. 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. Russell 's bandmate Ty Longley (guitar) was one of the people who perished in The Station blaze, which became the fourth deadliest fire in U.S. history. So many ways this could have been avoided, Matthew Hoffman, an East Greenwich, R.I. resident, told WPRI. In the days after the fire, victims' families and survivors faced a harsh new reality. [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. [58] Others pointed out that Biechele had sent handwritten letters to the families of each of the 100 victims and that he had a work release position in a local charity. These TIAs were subsequently incorporated into the 2006 edition of NFPA 101, along with additional exit requirements for new nightclub occupancies. It started as part of the fundraising basketball games she organized at the school. About a month after the fire Barr went home from the hospital. [27] A portion of the nightclub roof collapsed at 11:57 p.m., and a second portion in the building's sunroom collapsed at 12:07 a.m..[24] Patients were transported to Kent Hospital, which was filled to maximum capacity due to the fire. The tragedy, she said, heightened her appreciation of the life she was allowed, for whatever reason, to continue. I would see the burn survivors, whom Im lucky enough to call friends, Del Sesto said. It was completely preventable. Jeff Derderian: Because in my mind I had nothing to hide. They all say I never would have stopped it, and I probably wouldnt have. Barr, who was in his junior year, had dreams of a career on Wall Street and swam competitively for his college swim team. It took a while, she said, but she thinks she had found the way to move on from it but to keep it with her as well. The Station was owned by brothers Jeff and Michael Derderian. Shed read Russos book, about how the fire left her a bald chick, and it convinced her to go back out into the world. "[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. It would become one of the deadliest fires in a club in U.S. history. 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. At the time of The Station fire, older clubs in Rhode Island weren't required to install sprinklers. 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. Lynch also points out that the exits were a safety issue. 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? That was his gift. He was granted parole and then released after 22 months. He apologized to the families of the victims and made no attempt to mitigate his guilt," the letter said. I'm so sorry for what I have done, and I don't want to cause anyone any more pain. Flames can be seen on the back wall. WEST WARWICK, R.I. The Station nightclub fire, where 100 people died and hundreds more were hurt, will never be forgotten by those who were there or lost loved ones that February night.. People recall the events of the fourth deadliest night club fire in U.S. history. Jim Axelrod: Describe The Station nightclub for me. I figured I was on my own at that point.. 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. Marc Goldbaum is the development producer. That's how thick the smoke was. Everyone carries baggage and I think at some point you figure out how to pack it and carry it with you, she said. [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. He was the. [4] No occupants were in the building during the 1972 fire, but the interior was significantly damaged. It seems like yesterday We were going to get married in June and she passed away in February, Cain told CBS. Patrick Lynch: Again, any reference in this conversation about what the brothers say, I I take a step back and think I don't really trust it. Produced by Betsy Shuller and Chris Young Ritzen. 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. Gina Russo, who was in The Station on Feb. 20, 2003, barely made it out. it was also on fire. As the crowd bottlenecked at the clubs entrance, thick black smoke poured out of the building and over their heads. Michael spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. [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. [96] By 2013, Russell's group had resumed playing "Desert Moon". [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. Patrick Lynch: I can't remember, honestly. Even if he couldnt. Tracy King died saving many others the night of the fire. [21] Thick smoke began to fill the station one minute after the ignition and the crowd began to escape the building. Scott James: It was a typical kind of roadside dive. And Paul Vanner didnt like what he saw. [103], Inspired by the fire, the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act has been proposed United States Senate and House of Representatives since 2003. 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. ", "We are now at 65, and that may be higher ", Jeff Derderian: "Can you come in? Also there that night was Bates College student Phil Barr, who was home for winter break. Jim Axelrod: The brothers say," wait a minute, we ordered sound foam. And settled for $1 million. For the Derderians, the "full story" begins with the issue of permission. Survivor Phil Barr arrived to The Station early the night of the concert. [62], In a letter to the victims' families, Judge Darigan wrote that he accepted the deal because he wanted to avoid "Public exposition of the tragic, explicit and horrific events experienced by the victims of this fire, both living and dead. That was in like the 80s. PATRICK LYNCH [press conference]: We have an investigation on going and we need help, we need answers and I'm trying to get them. I'm going to do this. 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. 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. [22] Biechele used four gerbs that were set to spray sparks 15 feet (4.6m) for fifteen seconds. 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. I'll be right back." 2021, shooting at a San Jose rail station. [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. Greatly., Things that bother people you sit there and you shake your head and you go, if this is the worst thing that happens to me today, this month, this year, this decade, I mean, at that point its one of those things. Linda Saran: The bar got quiet because people were dying literally and all you could hear was the roar of the fire and liquor bottles exploding. They promoted the event. But he didn't know what. 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. Like you feel that kinship that, you know, "God, I really hope this guy makes it." They said a critical piece of evidence was never presented to the grand jury. I went and laid down next to Deb and just waited to die. Jeff Derderian: They didn't even bring up the fax to him. 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. There's an exit near the stage. [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. The brothers say they are still haunted by the events of that horrific night. 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. It looked like a ladder of those black jelly bracelets from the 80s hanging in rings around my wrists. [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. Linda Saran: They have said they were sorry. Jim Axelrod: Did the contract specify the use of pyrotechnics? Its surreal. As Great White started their first song, their tour manager Daniel Biechele set off four large fireworks called gerbs. When January comes each year, she starts a lesson, delicately, talking about The Station and how there was a fire there. Linda Saran: Second- and-third-degree burns, over 34 percent of my body from the heat. In a statement, Rhode Island Gov. it was happening so fast, fast, fast, fast. [79], The site of the fire was cleared, and a multitude of crosses were placed as memorials, left by loved ones of the deceased. 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. To satisfy noise complaints from neighbors, the brothers had installed foam along the club's walls and ceilings. [9], The foam was sold to the Derderians by American Foam. it became very, very hard to breathe. How he went from being a man with a job he loved and friends, to someone struggling with sobriety and guilt, suffering flashbacks at fire alarms and smoke-like fog. [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. 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. [93] In the years following the fire, Great White split into two separate groups, one led by Russell and the other by Kendall. 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.. The brothers say there was evidence that the grand jury never heard. It is now mandatory for nightclubs with occupancy over 150 to have them. [tears up] And the roof and just everything just fast, too fast. [tearing up] "What a great brother you have. She had a cellphone that was working and handed it off to anyone who needed to call home and let their family know they were safe. [49] The tour started five months after the fire, and each concert began with a prayer for survivors and families. The state of Rhode Island is small," says author Scott James. Her father wont visit the memorial, and it took her years to be able to drive down Cowesett Avenue, she said. In 2008, the band agreed to pay $1. Vanner has no excuses. Last year, he was charged with striking a woman for whom he was a caretaker. [21] The flames were initially thought to be part of the act; only as the fire reached the ceiling and smoke began to bank down did people realize it was uncontrolled. Linda Saran: I could have missed it all. The brother's plea deal stated only one of them would go to prison. Michael Derderian: Zero. 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. Unlike many of the patrons there, this was Barr's first time at the club. The story of three survivors that were trapped when the massive Cypress Street viaduct collapsed. For years, he worked in Boston for Channel 7. [2], The first criminal trial was against Great White's tour manager, Daniel Michael Biechele, 26, from Orlando, Florida. Phil Barr: It was getting harder and harder to breathe I could feel tightness and constriction in my chest. there are other people who should be responsible. [12] Kendall, who had co-founded the band with Russell in 1977, had rejoined Russell's version of the group in 2002. He had failed to get a license for the pyrotechnics from the State of Rhode Island and permits from the local fire department. [77], A benefit memorial concert was held in February 2008 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence and featured performances by Tesla, Twisted Sister, Winger, Gretchen Wilson, and John Rich. They should have blamed more. [1] The building that would become The Station was built in 1946 and was originally used as a gin mill. if he had done that, then he would have obviously have said to us . She spoke with the Globe about Jefferey and Michael Derderian, the . 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. 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.. Scott James: You have four exits. 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. A California woman who had been injured in an accident and hadnt left her house in five years wrote her, she said. I never wanted anyone to be hurt in any way. But their plans for the future would suddenly change. It was late on Feb. 20, 2003, when the cold winter night erupted in flames. 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. One near the bar. And then on one side, I noticed it come over the top, and that's when I said, "I have to leave." 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].