It had to end, for me and it ended in the most beautiful way.. It just so happens that we're evacuated due to the CZU complex fire but hey that's how. Phil Barr: I remember the smoke descended really quickly. Phil Barr: Being a survivor of The Station nightclub fire is a piece of who I am. 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. But 15 years later, she said, its time for her to move out of its shadow. [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. [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. It was there, she said, that she found the best therapists: others who had been in the fire. [48] The capacity for the Station was either 258 or 404, depending on how the building was being used. He trusted in his friends. I don't even like to talk about it. these contracts are pretty specific. 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. Scott James: It was a typical kind of roadside dive. For years, he worked in Boston for Channel 7. 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. His work was instrumental in amassing 176 million dollars in settlements from persons and corporations responsible for the fire. (WJAR) WEST WARWICK . Jim Axelrod: I want to ask you about Phil Barr. But I should have at least tried.. [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. They should have blamed more. [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. 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.". [17][16], The concert was emceed by Michael Gonsalves, a disk jockey for Providence rock radio station WHJY who was also known as "Doctor Metal". To the right is this much larger space in front of a stage. Cold air washing over me. I cant do it for the rest of my life, she said. Jeff Derderian: We tried to get as far as we could. A surgery to correct a childhood ailment with his ears left him able to balance objects on his chin. Gina Russo, who was in The Station on Feb. 20, 2003, barely made it out. Biechele was released from prison on March 19, 2008. "48 Hours" has confirmed the fax wasnotpresented to the grand jury. S01:E01 - San Francisco Freeway Collapse. The Station was owned by brothers Michael and Jeff Derderian. But the night of the fire it was up to help cut down the noise. WEST WARWICK, R.I. The owners of The Station nightclub say their decision to finally speak publicly about the deadly fire there nearly . Eighteen years later, there is no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. [tears up] And the roof and just everything just fast, too fast. She said she went into the club that night a naive, fun-loving 27-year-old and came out angry and feeling guilty. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Patrick Lynch: You're telling me it wasn't, and I don't know that it wasn't. 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. Dont take life for granted and I miss her every day She was my world and now shes my angel.. The brothers decided that because Jeff had young kids, Michael would go. "[5], Many of the survivors of the fire developed post-traumatic stress disorder after the event. [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. Editor's Note: This story was originally published on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. [95] When Russell launched his version of the band in 2012, Kendall's group responded that Russell had no right to use the name. Jim Axelrod: There are so many people still to this day angry that the case didn't go to trial. 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. They were friends. [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 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. People recall the events of the fourth deadliest night club fire in U.S. history. WEST WARWICK, R.I. -- Five years . Scott James: He writes up this long, almost a manifesto about all the things that he thinks are wrong in that foam company that led to this tragedy. Stephen Sweet, a Quincy firefighter who lost his cousin Shawn Sweet in the fire, came to play the bagpipes at a memorial ceremony Monday, WCVB reported. He turned back to see the crowd bottle-necked at the stage. To satisfy noise complaints from neighbors, the brothers had installed foam along the club's walls and ceilings. that door being up, there is no question that that increased the likelihood that many, many more would perish. On February 20, 2003, in West Warwick, Rhode Island, the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in United States history occurred in The Station nightclub. He still remembers that deadly night. Her father has seven brothers, Pimentel said, and she was especially close to Carlos. The Foam.". I come down every year and play the [bagpipes], he told WCVB. [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 tour manager for the rock band Great White pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison. It just so happens that we're . 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. [59], Biechele's parole and probation expired in March 2011. 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. It was really everything to me at that time. [94] Russell's group made its first New England appearance in twelve years at a harvest festival in Mechanic Falls, Maine, in August 2015. I went and laid down next to Deb and just waited to die. Jeff called his brother Michael who was in Florida. Their story starts three years before the fire. As were going down the stairs to get into the comedy club, in the heart of Times Square, the first thought that goes through my mind: I come back and look and go: Are there two exits down there? she said. Jeff Derderian: I remember we were trying to get people away from the building. The brothers have since learned that the fire marshal should have tested the foam on the wall. Also there that night was Bates College student Phil Barr, who was home for winter break. It would have been my legacy, Vanner said. Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. sentenced Biechele to fifteen years in prison, with four to serve and eleven years suspended, plus three years' probation, for his role in the fire. I try to say it in the lightest way possible, she said. 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. Jim Axelrod: The brothers say," wait a minute, we ordered sound foam. Doreen Schechter and Gary Winter are the editors. Why had the fire spread so quickly? That was his gift. ", "Fire in a nightclub: the band; group persevered by making circuit of smaller clubs", "How tragedy inspired one member of Great White", "Rhode Island Remembers Victims Of Deadly GREAT WHITE Concert Fire", "Club, band dispute permission to use fireworks - Feb. 22, 2003", "Memories sear survivor of fire that killed 100 in 2003", "Parents mourn loss of only child in nightclub fire, but cherish time they had after first near-death experience", "Radio station to remain in fire lawsuits", "Clear Channel agrees to pay $22 million to nightclub fire victims", "Portraits of people who died in the R.I. nightclub fire", "Timeline: What happened the night of the Station nightclub fire? But it's fun. "Taking responsibility for your actions goes a long way," she says. Its just one of those things thats ingrained in you.. For those who lived through it or lost a loved one, healing from the horrific scars, both physical and emotional, takes time. I'll be right back." Kat Teurfs is the associate producer. Barr, who was in his junior year, had dreams of a career on Wall Street and swam competitively for his college swim team. In a statement, Rhode Island Gov. If they stood up and said, small business owners, we were inexperienced. Share. And 18 years after the fire, the brothers say they want to set the record straight and reveal new information. And outside I went. Like, "get away from the building." 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. We haven't played it since then and probably never will. JACK RUSSELL [news interview]: We never do anything without asking permission first. View Image Gallery. I miss Tina a lot. 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.. [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. We couldn't make it. When I turned around, some people were already trying to leave, and others were just sitting there going, "Yeah, that's great!" About a month after the fire Barr went home from the hospital. Hundreds of people ran to the only exit many of them knew the way they came in. Jim Axelrod: The fire spread so quickly because rather than fire-retardant sound foam, on the wall of the club was highly flammable packing foam. 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. I said to myself, we gotta go. I noticed when the pyro stopped, the flame had kept going on both sides. That exit door would soon be engulfed in flames. We talk about fire safety a bit, I dont get too, too far into it.. [52] Speaking to the public for the first time since the fire, Biechele stated: For three years, I've wanted to be able to speak to the people that were affected by this tragedy, but I know that there's nothing that I can say or do that will undo what happened that night. Jim Axelrod: Did either of you know anything about running a nightclub? You see on your left the horseshoe-shaped bar. My friends were dead, my other friends are severely injured, I no longer look like myself. They go for 15 seconds and they go 15 feet into the air. At the opening of the park I had 100 students from my school come, and I had to explain it all so I gave them their learning experience, she said of last Mays dedication of the park on the site of the Station nightclub. 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. I remember getting pushed from behind. Jim Axelrod: And then it just got engulfed in flames? Jim Axelrod: To people who feel that the two of you have never said we own this what do you say? MICHAEL DERDERIAN: I plead not guilty, your honor. 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. Bruce Cain also lost someone who he was prepared to spend the rest of his life with. Parole board chairwoman Lisa Holley told journalists of her surprise at the forgiving attitude of the families, saying, "I think the most overwhelming part of it for me was the depth of forgiveness of many of these families that have sustained such a loss. At first, there was no panic. ", Scott James: They had their moments. Phil Barr awoke after three weeks in a medically induced coma and was told his lungs had been badly damaged. Jody King: He ran in and came out nine times in 90 seconds. Scott James: They are what they call 15x15. Patrick Lynch: I can't remember, honestly. [24] Hundreds of firefighters responded to the fire, including every available West Warwick firefighter. Also outside was club owner Jeff Derderian. I have to find him. I found my soul was wanting.. They all later accepted plea deals. Biechele was released from prison in 2008 after some families of the victims expressed their support for his parole. You should be proud." "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. Like Barr, Linda Saran had also spent three weeks in a medically induced coma. [32] The fine was not resolved until 2013, ten years after the fire, when it was upheld by a judge. Warner lived next to The Station and had met the brothers. When fireworks ignited the soundproofing foam on the stage wall, he ran for a fire extinguisher. 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. Scott James: You have four exits. The club was sold. At the scene, Jody King was desperate for information about his brother, and began to fear the worst. There was nothing heroic about what I did.. He was granted parole and then released after 22 months. And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through," explains Scott James. [9] The ensuing crowd crush in the narrow hallway led to that exit being blocked completely and resulted in numerous deaths and injuries among the patrons and staff. 9. 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. [48], Following the tragedy, Governor Donald Carcieri declared a moratorium on pyrotechnic displays at venues that hold fewer than 300 people. "48 Hours" is not showing any of that footage. There is one consistent thing I have learned after 18 years in the The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., was on fire . [2], Prior to being converted into a nightclub and concert venue, the Station building had been used as a restaurant and tavern. On February 20, 2003 at about 11:10 p.m., Jody King got a call that something was going on at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. And yet, at the point in time, I don't think I knew his name. Everyone carries baggage and I think at some point you figure out how to pack it and carry it with you, she said. "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. Linda Saran and Phil Barr, badly injured, were transported to a local hospital. Scott James: The fire alarm you hear it kick in. 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. And settled for $1 million. CBS Boston Rhode Island Gov. 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. 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. It looked like it was raining black fire. He sees a court-ordered therapist, who has told him he has depression and PTSD. Today marks the 20th anniversary of The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, RI, which killed 100 people. The Guest List is a strikingly visual film. 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. [2], The first criminal trial was against Great White's tour manager, Daniel Michael Biechele, 26, from Orlando, Florida. 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. This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 14:21. The answer is no. [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. That was in like the 80s. Jeff Derderian: I don't know. Fifteen years since that terrible night. These are videos of prior performances taken inside the club. Shed read Russos book, about how the fire left her a bald chick, and it convinced her to go back out into the world. Jody King: He went on David Letterman twice to do Stupid Human Tricks. Now in private practice, Lynch says he looked into a host of people. PATRICK LYNCH [press conference]: We have an investigation on going and we need help, we need answers and I'm trying to get them. It did not. And I was paying staff pricing for beer because I knew a guy. [79], The site of the fire was cleared, and a multitude of crosses were placed as memorials, left by loved ones of the deceased. Jeff Derderian: Because in my mind I had nothing to hide. [48] The grand jury also did not return charges against Russell. The fire was now out of control; it had spread along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling intended to dampen sound. The flanking gerbs became the principal cause of the fire. So, I actually got a really good sense of the layout of the venue. Linda Saran: Most of the crowd thought it was part of the show and didn't move. After the investigation ended and prosecutors had no more questions, after reporters stopped calling and the years passed since that deadly night, the man who was the sound technician and stage manager at The Station nightclub was left with his thoughts. Updated on: October 24, 2021 / 2:07 AM The TIAs also required additional crowd manager personnel, among other things. People say they just feel peaceful, Russo told the Globe. Jim Axelrod: If the brothers are relying on the fire marshal to tell them whether or not they can continue to do business. That's when I turned back. Many of the families believed that the punishment was just; others had hoped for a more severe sentence. So, I said to Deb, "stay here. So, to the people who think we don't own it I'm telling you, we DO own it ok? Isn't that an important fact in determining who's at fault? I could have missed my daughter's high school graduation, the birth of her children. Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter, and Michael and Jeff Derderian pleaded no contest. In fact, they did the opposite.". One hundred people died, and hundreds more suffered. 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. In September 2008, The Jack Russell Tour Group Inc. offered $1 million in a settlement to survivors and victims' relatives. there was nothing that would make it so you couldn't get out of it. I'm so sorry for what I have done, and I don't want to cause anyone any more pain. Scott James: It should not have happened. Michael Derderian: It would have been horrific to have people go through this. then as it heals, the scarring tightens up. They all say I never would have stopped it, and I probably wouldnt have. Patrick Lynch: They are running the operation. [12] Kendall, who had co-founded the band with Russell in 1977, had rejoined Russell's version of the group in 2002. Last year, he was charged with striking a woman for whom he was a caretaker. [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. 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 by then, the black smoke was pouring out over their heads. I just don't find him as guilty of anything. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. 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. [2], In the months prior to the fire, the building had been inspected twice by West Warwick fire marshal Denis Larocque. Jim Axelrod: Describe The Station nightclub for me. Linda Saran still places much of it on the Derderian brothers. Michael Derderian: But that door became impassable almost within seconds because clearly there's foam that's burning at 800 or 1,500 degrees.