once you could no longer see, it was total pandemonium. And I turned around, I said, "Get out, get out, get to the door, get to the door!" There's an exit near the stage. That's how thick the smoke was. And if we could change it, we would. Jim Axelrod: Over the course of the investigation, what did you learn about the way the brothers ran their business? A California woman who had been injured in an accident and hadnt left her house in five years wrote her, she said. I can't speak Everything was, you know, sore and hoarse I picked up the pen in very weak, you know, kind of handwriting I wrote, "I hope to make progress every day.". REELZ today announced the network's original documentary America's Deadliest Rock Concert: The Guest List premieres February 20th at 8pm ET/ 5pm PT presenting the deeply personal stories of lives forever altered by the tragic Station nightclub fire that left 100 people dead, more than 200 injured and devastated the tight-knit community of West Warwick, Rhode Island. and I tripped over what I assume was a bar stool. [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. [89] Kendall said in 2005, "We haven't played that song. Nothing lifts his despair. I never imagined that anyone ever would be. The fire was now out of control; it had spread along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling intended to dampen sound. [31], Four employees of the Station were killed in the fire. At first, there was no panic. Judy Tygard is the executive producer. I couldn't hear screaming anymore. 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 . Petrarca remembers one of the most beautiful moments shes had. 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. Almost immediately the finger pointing started. Michael Derderian: The field test is crystal clear. [21] Thick smoke began to fill the station one minute after the ignition and the crowd began to escape the building. Phil Barr: I went around the people trying to push to the front door. Phil Barr: and I felt the door and I just heaved my shoulder into it. I needed for that day to come, she said. Jim Axelrod: Did either of you know anything about running a nightclub? [84] In September 2012, the owner of the land, Ray Villanova, donated the site to the SFMF. They were friends. "48 Hours" is not showing any of that footage. [95][49], Neither version of Great White performed in any of the six New England states for over a decade following the fire. Phil Barr: I asked my pulmonologist, you know, "when can I get back in the pool?" The fire began as rock band Great White played to the crowd. The crime scene evidence that convicted Alex Murdaugh, How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh, Five deaths with a connection to Alex Murdaugh's family investigated, Husband of woman murdered with an ax convicted 40 years after her death. In 2003, 100 people died and over 200 were injured at a rock concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island. [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. It fuels you. I noticed when the pyro stopped, the flame had kept going on both sides. Jody King says his brother enjoyed working for the Derderians. About a month after the fire Barr went home from the hospital. "[58], Dave Kane and Joanne O'Neill, parents of youngest victim Nicholas O'Neill, released their letter to the board to reporters. Linda Saran: The foam was raining down and the flames are dripping from the ceiling. That specific. And 18 years after the fire, the brothers say they want to set the record straight and reveal new information. [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. She said she went into the club that night a naive, fun-loving 27-year-old and came out angry and feeling guilty. We took shortcuts. Scott James: It should not have happened. [93] In the years following the fire, Great White split into two separate groups, one led by Russell and the other by Kendall. He wasnt charged with a crime, but his thoughts punish him. But many, including the brothers, feel strongly Laroque should also have been charged. [8], Great White had two opening acts for the February 20 concert: Trip, a group from Vancouver, Washington, and Fathead, a local Rhode Island band. "48 Hours" has confirmed the fax wasnotpresented to the grand jury. It was the fourth deadliest fire in a nightclub in US history. It couldnt continue another 10, 15 years, it couldnt. 0:57. 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. It had to be two minutes tops before the whole place was black smoke. I could have missed my daughter's high school graduation, the birth of her children. [98], 41, a documentary about Nicholas O'Neill, the youngest victim of the fire, was screened at Rhode Island theaters in 2008. [48] The grand jury also did not return charges against Russell. And that song reminds us of that night. He was the. And I stood up. That happened in 2002. Phil Barr: I loved it. There had to be that period for me. A decade ago, a survivor . Since I had been there earlier in the night, I knew that there was at least an exit in the back barroom. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Survivors of the Station nightclub fire reflect on tragedy's 20th anniversary One hundred people were killed and many more injured when a pyrotechnic display caused a massive blaze in 2003.. I could have missed that My friends that didn't survive that night have missed that. I know how this tragedy has devastated me, but I can only begin to understand what the people who lost loved ones have endured. Biechele and Michael Derderian went to prison. Why had the fire spread so quickly? We couldn't make it. [32] The fine was not resolved until 2013, ten years after the fire, when it was upheld by a judge. Linda Saran still places much of it on the Derderian brothers. 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. I can only pray that they understand that I would do anything to undo what happened that night and give them back their loved ones. Michael Derderian: Jeffrey was responsible for all the marketing activities. They all say I never would have stopped it, and I probably wouldnt have. Season 1. . [40][37] Derderian resigned from WPRI on June 30. Station nightclub fire survivor tells burn victims love can happen amid scars, fears: Joe Kinan has had more than 120 surgeries, not the least of which was a hand transplant. 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. "[55] Biechele was released in March 2008. Michael Derderian: And I'm saying to him "Did everybody get out Did anyone die?" "[5], Many of the survivors of the fire developed post-traumatic stress disorder after the event. One near the bar. Jody King: As I went by the fire station fire trucks are coming out Now the question in my head is why are all these firetrucks leaving? Barr was located between the stage and the front door. Pyrotechnics ignited foam insulation that lined the walls and ceiling around the stage, the National Institute of Standards and Technology concluded. 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 went back around the front again, and that's when you saw people stacked on top of each other, trying to get out of the front door. Linda Saran: That's when you make a decision. The first was her life before Feb. 20, 2003. The result is poignant footage contrasting very different life stories. it was happening so fast, fast, fast, fast. And he's like he don't know. And why wasn't the foam company charged? [11] Although the band was officially known as Jack Russell's Great White at the time, and their tour was initially named after Russell's 2002 solo album For You, they were billed by the Station as simply Great White. 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.. My parents taught us a lot, a lot of things. He owned his own construction company, and he was often in the backyard with his sons, improving the landscape or building two ponds that he filled with koi fish. PATRICK LYNCH [news interview]: Certainly, there are people we are looking at, ultimately, we may target. You know people didn't react instantly. It seems senseless that something like this could happen. [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. They all came so every single one of those hundred students held up a white rose and they represented one of the 100 [who died]. He had an unlikely friend rooting for him. And settled for $1 million. 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. I did not lead them out, he said dismissively. For the first few years she shunned memorial ceremonies but eventually was convinced to go. [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. Flames soon appeared on the walls on either side of the stage and spread quickly along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling, intended to dampen sound. I am proud. View Image Gallery. Jim Axelrod: Who's responsible for that foam going up on the wall? But even more than walking, Phil wanted to return to swimming. Jody King: They blamed three. [12] Kendall, who had co-founded the band with Russell in 1977, had rejoined Russell's version of the group in 2002. That was the most important thing, they didnt freak.. It took about five years to come to terms with that, she said. Jody King: I see the horror. I said to myself, we gotta go. And, according to the brothers, it was one of the first exits used when the fire started. The brothers say there was evidence that the grand jury never heard. The Station Fire: 100 victims in photos The Station Fire: 100 victims in photos 98 PHOTOS More Stories Has fire prevention in RI improved since The Station fire? Last year, he was charged with striking a woman for whom he was a caretaker. Jeff Derderian: That door was meant to block the noise from the neighbors. After the fire, multiple civil and criminal cases were filed. At 55, he lives with his parents and keeps to himself. Phil Barr fought to breathe on his own. [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. Within weeks, the National Fire Protection Association committee met to regulate code for "assembly occupancies." Jim Axelrod: The brothers say," wait a minute, we ordered sound foam. Patrick Lynch: I can't remember, honestly. JEFF DERDERIAN [crying]: Many people didn't make it out and that is a horror that will haunt my family and I for the rest of our lives. 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. In a statement, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee honored the victims, their families, and the first responders who saved many lives. We haven't played it since then and probably never will. Marc Goldbaum is the development producer. Because so many people that were there don't have that opportunity. American Foam Corporation, who sold the insulation to The Station nightclub, agreed in 2008 to pay $6.3 million to settle lawsuits relating to the fire. And people stood and watched it, and some people backed off. Biechele was released from prison on March 19, 2008. That night, he allowed a cameraman to shoot footage inside the club for an upcoming story about safety in public venues. Michael Derderian: They got this fax and it went on to describe the business practices of the foam company. "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. "We have 39 confirmed fatalities, and we are still in the process of searching the rubble. I will never forget that night, and I will never forget the people that were hurt by it. Linda Saran still places much of it on the Derderian brothers. But instead, I chose to run like a common coward.. So, before I knew it, this finger was contractured down in this position and the rest of them were all bent backwards because the skin had tightened up.". Fifteen years from now, she hopes, her students will go by the park, and have a memory, a connection, with the 100 people whose names and faces are etched into black granite squares arrayed throughout the park. Joe Kinan was badly burned in the deadly Station Nightclub fire in Rhode Island that left 100 dead and 230 injured in February 2003 . He tells her he wishes that hed tried to extinguish the fire. [57], On September 4, 2007, some families of the fire's victims expressed their support for Biechele's parole. The loss is still fresh for her cousins, she said, even 15 years later. Warner lived next to The Station and had met the brothers. undisputable. 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. But when Warner was called before the grand jury, he was not asked about the allegations he made in the fax. [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. 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 Eighteen years later, there is no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. These TIAs were subsequently incorporated into the 2006 edition of NFPA 101, along with additional exit requirements for new nightclub occupancies. The Feb. 20, 2003. 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. Scott James: They are what they call 15x15. He still remembers that deadly night. I come down every year and play the [bagpipes], he told WCVB. They want to talk to you." Scott James: It was a typical kind of roadside dive. 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. And I'm like, "OK.". Today she is president of the Station Fire Memorial Foundation, the group that oversaw the construction of the memorial park. 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. there are other people who should be responsible. Gina Russo of Cranston, R.I. is a survivor of the Station nightclub fire and president of The Station Fire Memorial Foundation. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. 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. You walk on the property, and it doesnt feel tragic anymore. Scott James: You have four exits. Published on August 10, 2017 09:05 AM. [104] The legislation would create a tax incentive for property owners to install fire sprinkler systems. "We went out on a Thursday night to listen to music, drink some beers and have a good time. And then we've got the pressure from the judge saying you know, you're going to go to jail for 30 years apiece. 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. A West Warwick police officer who was already at the scene also reported the fire to police dispatch. Robin Petrarca was in New York City three weeks ago, looking for some laughs in a comedy club. [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. ", Scott James: They had their moments. But never once do they say, "we screwed up." She said she spent years after that in pain and anger. [92], Russell left Great White in 2010. Her bill was $646 that month, she said. He don't know. Also outside was club owner Jeff Derderian. I went around back. She paused, her eyes tearing. [2] The final tally by The Providence Journal of people inside the Station during the fire totaled 462. The Station Nightclub Fire: Who's Responsible? Everyone carries baggage and I think at some point you figure out how to pack it and carry it with you, she said. Survivor Phil Barr arrived to The Station early the night of the concert. 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. I have to find him. Saran was one of the more than 200 who were seriously hurt in the fire. Jim Axelrod: Did the contract specify the use of pyrotechnics? He was the. And I fell down the stairs, out that door. I kicked out a side window to try to get people out of there. The Derderians say that in the three years they owned the club, no one ever questioned the safety of the foam. That was in like the 80s. fine against Station Nightclub owners upheld", "Station nightclub fire survivor tells how she's moved on in new book", "The Station fire took emotional toll on survivors, study finds", "Tentative $30 million deal in R. I. nightclub fire", "TV station that assigned reporter to cover his own nightclub raises ethical issue", "Station Video Spurs Lawsuit - Pollstar News", "Nightclub owner resigns from WPRI television", "Report of the Technical Investigation of The Station Nightclub Fire: Appendices (NIST NCSTAR 2), Volume 2", "Grand Jury Convened to Probe Deadly R.I. And outside I went. Del Sesto said her life is told in three chapters now. The Derderians have always maintained that they never gave the band permission to use pyrotechnics. It would have been my legacy, Vanner said. So many ways this could have been avoided, Matthew Hoffman, an East Greenwich, R.I. resident, told WPRI. But does that mean it's not a crime? They didn't even let him talk about it. [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. [79], The site of the fire was cleared, and a multitude of crosses were placed as memorials, left by loved ones of the deceased. Jim Axelrod: Describe The Station nightclub for me. It would become one of the deadliest fires in a club in U.S. history. To the right is this much larger space in front of a stage. "There really weren't that many people around early in the night. For the first February in 15 years, Lisa Del Sesto said, she hasnt had the nightmares. [3] A fire had previously occurred at the building in 1972 while it was used as a restaurant called Julio's. Linda Saran and Phil Barr, badly injured, were transported to a local hospital. It had to end, for me and it ended in the most beautiful way.. Its just one of those things thats ingrained in you.. [60], Following Biechele's trial, The Station's owners, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, were scheduled to receive separate trials. The Station was owned by brothers Michael and Jeff Derderian. People recall the events of the fourth deadliest night club fire in U.S. history. my dad was in the room. The fire started shortly after Great White began performing their opening number, "Desert Moon". Jim Axelrod: If you have a message that you want the people of Rhode Island to hear, there were plenty of ways to get it out long before now. She endured more than 50 operations. Vanner wonders whether he could have saved them. Jim Axelrod: And then it just got engulfed in flames? Tracy King worked at The Station as a bouncer. [tearing up] "What a great brother you have.
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