Posted on 02/20/2023 7:29:35 PM PST by Fester Chugabrew
WEST WARWICK, R.I. — Monday [Today] marks the 20th anniversary of The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island, that killed 100 people. It is the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in American history.
Among the mourners who gathered Monday at Station Fire Memorial Park, which honors all of those lost in the disaster, was Stephen Sweet, a firefighter in Quincy, Massachusetts. His cousin, Shawn Sweet, died in the disaster.
"I come down every year and play the (bagpipes)," he said. "The message is, 'Don't forget.' Never forget these people or forget what happened."
The fire, which broke out on Feb. 20, 2003, was caused by pyrotechnics set off by the tour manager of the band Great White. The pyrotechnics ignited flammable sound insulation foam in the walls and ceilings surrounding the stage.
A fast-moving fire engulfed the club in five and a half minutes, as 230 people were injured and another 132 escaped uninjured.
The flames were at first thought to be part of the act. As the fire reached the ceiling and smoke began to billow, people began to realize the nightclub was on fire.
There were 462 people in attendance, even though the club's official licensed capacity was 404. One hundred people lost their lives, and about half were injured, either from burns, smoke inhalation, or trampling.
Although there were four possible exits, most attendees headed for the front door through which they had entered. In the crush, many could not get out.
The exit near the bar had been locked with chains in order to prevent people from sneaking into the club without paying.
A survivor claimed that she and her fiancé had tried to escape through one exit, but were stopped by a bouncer stating that that door was "for the band only."
Nightclub owners Jeffrey and Micahel Derderian both faced 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter in the case. They changed their pleas from "not guilty" to "no contest," thereby avoiding a trial.
Michael Derderian received a 15-year prison sentence, with four to serve and 11 years suspended, plus three years probation. Jeffrey Derderian received a 10-year suspended sentence, three years probation, and 500 hours of community service.
Great White tour manager Daniel Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of those who lost their lives in the fire.
The video of this incident is horrific. People were piled up at the exits screaming unable to get out the chained doors.
A guy that lived nearby who just happened to sell the sound insulation complained about noise from the club. The insulation was not rated for the application they were using it in.
I remember this.. so sad. A small music event space to have such a thing happen. I been in many small event places in the Chicago area and think what could happen...God bless those living and not here any more...
I remember this.. so sad. A small music event space to have such a thing happen. I been in many small event places in the Chicago area and think what could happen...God bless those living and not here any more...
Sorry for the double post...my bad
I am perplexed as to how they did not calculate the potential for full blown fire using those pyrotechnics. Maybe they just went from one show to the next without consideration, too drug addled to think about it.
The doors weren't chained--they were inadequate for the number of the people who were crowded into the club which thanks to the owners far exceeded it's approved capacity. There was a rear exit door but it was not obvious to most of the clubgoers because the club owners obscured it so only the band members--who were able to escape--could use it. Some clubgoers knew it was there and got out. Everyone else headed for the door they came in through and as a result the door was so tightly crammed with people it was impossible to get out. Many people was crushed to death in the doorway.
This is why it is good practice when in a public place to always know where your closest alternative exits are. Don't depend on getting out in an emergency the way you came in.
It was the unapproved "soundproofing" which covered the ceiling that did them in. It was little more than packing foam. Once it ignited, the fire spread across the length of the club in seconds.
It’s that exact time for me now.
Is there a list of "deadliest nightclub fires?!"
Would such a list differentiate between "nightclubs" and, say, "rock concerts?"
For that matter: Is there a list of "deadliest country music festival fires?"
Regards,
Documentary about the fire:
https://youtu.be/OvWkoNS-muQ
Shorter video about the fire and less annoying than the repetitive other one I just posted:
The guitar player died when he went back in to try saving his axe.
The morning after the fire my phone was ringing off the hook with folks calling to make sure I was still alive. I knew a handful of folks who made it out alive and uninjured - they were all guys who played in the club and knew the layout like the back of their hands. I casually knew one guy, a drummer who used to buy gear from my uncle, who died in the blaze. He never had a chance because he was a cripple. Also knew the house soundman who was working the club and whose life was destroyed by the horrible things he witnessed that night.
The drummer in my band was a fire fighter. He was called there the next day as part of the cleanup and investigation crew. What he described to me made my knees weak and my stomach churn. Just horrifying.
I now live in Italy and have a recording studio there. I have similar, Auralex-type insulation on the walls, here and there. One day, after a memory of the Station fire popped into my head, I decided to try lighting a piece of it in the kitchen sink to test its flammability. I could not light it, even with a kitchen blowtorch. I was greatly relieved.
They weren't a "druggie" band as far as I knew. Nope - good 'ol fashioned arrogance and recklessness was the cause.
Wow. Your acquaintance with the details must make the sad occasion an especially potent one. I delivered a new box truck nearby in 2018. Took the occasion to visit the memorial site.
I had forgotten that so many people died in this horrible incident. I paid attention to it too, because my kid was at the music club going stage of life and it made me worry even more than usual.
Rest in peace to these poor unfortunate people.
I hate tightly packed crowds. I experience claustrophobia, feelings of panic, etc.
Many years ago I had gone on a “girls” weekend trip to OC Maryland and the girls I was with, mostly younger than me, wanted to go to a popular night club. The place was jammed with people, so tightly packed, shoulder to shoulder, that you could barely move. After about 10 minutes, I experienced a panic attack, heart pounding, shortness of breath and told one of my friends I needed to get out.
I told her I’d wait for them in the car or outside or take a walk on the beach instead. My friend instead drove me back to the condo.
Fires should be banned.
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