I cant open a jar with it, Russo says. the Station nightclub . The Top 25 Music DVDs Worth Rewatching Families of the killed and survivors sought for years to have the site of the horror turned into a permanent memorial. Nearly 500 people died at The Cocoanut Grove that night in the United States' most deadly nightclub disaster. On the night of February 20, 2003, more than 400 music fans packed into the small Station nightclub. Petrarca remembers one of the "most beautiful moments" she's had. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The West Warwick, Rhode Island club The Station was purchased by brothers Michael A. and Jeffrey A. Derderian in 2000 and three years later became a scene of tragedy that would haunt Rhode Island forever. Biechele and Michael Derderian were sentenced to four years in prison, though each was let out early. WEST WARWICK, R.I. Savagely burned in the fire that incinerated the Station nightclub here five years ago next Wednesday, Linda Fisher has endured a dozen surgeries to salvage her . "It was criminal," he says. I had fourth-degree burns there, which means my hair will never grow back, she says. The Station nightclub in West Warwick burned down Feb. 20, 2003, during a concert by rock band Great White, leaving 100 people dead and more than 200 injured. The third started that day. Shed read Russos book, about how the fire left her a bald chick, and it convinced her to go back out into the world. It wasnt about forgiveness for the death of his brother, because he never blamed them. For the first few years she shunned memorial ceremonies but eventually was convinced to go. What he calls a fellowship has endured. They died here, Jody King said of the100 people who died. When it was announced that the 1980s rock act Great White would be headlining an evening of retro rock music at The Station, fans turned out in force. Among the dead was the band's guitarist, Ty Longley. 1,101 were here. CNN further stated, Rhode Island fire marshal Jesse Owens said a licensed pyrotechnician must apply for a permit to use fireworks during a performance. No one with Great White had applied for the permit and Biechele had no pyrotechnician license. It was a lethal combination, a perfect storm of events that led up to catastrophe. The band Great White was set to perform at 11pm on February 20, 2003 and the fans came in droves to see them. Petrarca was sitting near the bar that night in 2003, about five feet from a door, when the fire broke out. He wasn't charged with a crime, but his thoughts punish him. She wore a spaghetti-strap top so he could see her scars. Robin Petrarca was in New York City three weeks ago, looking for some laughs in a comedy club. . Michael Derderian, who plead no contest for involuntary manslaughter for installation of the combustible foam, was sentenced to four years. 2010 The Thought & Expression Company, LLC. Biechele frequently paused to choke back tears as he said, Since the fire Ive 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. Mr. King, Ms. Eagan and several other survivors started the Station Family Fund a few months after the fire, when they learned that one woman who escaped that night was losing her home. The Station nightclub on Cowesett Avenue and Kulas Road in West Warwick, Rhode Island, caught fire as the band Great White shot off pyrotechnics to punctuate its entrance on stage. But 15 years later, she said, its time for her to move out of its shadow. Fifteen years since that terrible night. The gunman killed 49 people and wounded at least 50 before Orlando police . "I can't do it for the rest of my life," she said. Donovan Williams, who was badly burned, hopes settlements will help some. Six months after the fire the state had already started passing updated fire safety regulations in the fall out of the fire, Governor Carcieri signed into law the Comprehensive Fire Safety Act of 2003, a major rewrite of the states fire-safety code. The devastation wrought by the defendant in unparalleled is our states history, White asserted. The second was the time from that night until the dedication of the memorial last spring. On the day he died, Matt kissed his wifes stomach and said: God, I wish shed come today. Now, ten years later the family reflects on the many challenges and losses life has thrown at them. She mourned her fianc, and felt guilty that she survived when so many died. In June, Russo tasted solid food for the first time since February 20th. The Kiss nightclub fire started between 2:00 and 2:30 a.m. on 27 January 2013 in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, killing 245 people and injuring at least 630 others. But, like so many others who escaped the inferno, she also simmers with darker emotions. "But instead, I chose to run like a common coward.". The first two days of the Iraq war, Bush launched $500 million in Tomahawk cruise missiles to hit a target that wasnt there, says Dan Davidson, a videographer from Westerly, Rhode Island, who shot some dramatic still photos inside the Stationthat night. she said. There is only ONE bouncer in the world that positively worked at the station that night, and had a wife named Kelly that died after the fact. Ive still got some openings in my skull, but theyre closing enough to where I can start reconstructive surgery., The Station Fire: One Year Later, Page 1 of 3. I had the fire extinguisher in my hand, Vanner said. On Feb. 20, 2003, hundreds of people were packed into the Station nightclub when the '80s rock group Great White took the small stage. It's the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for fire service professionals worldwide. A California woman who had been injured in an accident and hadnt left her house in five years wrote her, she said. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Brothers and owners of The Station. Prosecutors recently brought involuntary-manslaughter charges against the clubs owners, Jeffrey and Michael Derderian, and Dan Biechele, Great Whites former tour manager, and a raft of civil suits have also been filed. "I had the fire extinguisher in my hand," Vanner said. It was criminal, he says. Widowed, they raise children on disability checks that dont reach poverty level, and they contemplate bankruptcy. Judge Darigan asked Biechele if he wanted to say anything before the court passed sentence. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). Select from premium Dance Club On West of the highest quality. This site is dedicated to the memory of the 100 victims who lost their lives in the Station Nightclub fire on February 20, 2003 in West Warwick, RI. Do you want to stay up to date of all the news about Rhode Island? Station owners silent as fire's 10th anniversary nears: The Derderian brothers, who purchased the West Warwick, R.I., nightclub in 2000 with hopes of making it a thriving business, still draw anger, and resentment from victims, and their families. 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. She paused, her eyes tearing. Northeastern law professor and GBH legal analyst Daniel . But 15 years later, she said, it's time for her to move out of. Getting out didnt mean going back to normal. The fire spread quickly along the ceiling area over the dance floor. Jeffs community service was appropriate. It's irrelevant.". Privacy Policy. 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. . Stacie Angers loved Great White. She has limited use of her right arm. ", "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 it's one of those things. 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. Her father won't visit the memorial, and it took her years to be able to drive down Cowesett Avenue, she said. This fire immediately invoked memories of other tragic fires in assembly One hundred. I found my soul was wanting.. The band halted. But I should have at least tried.". Mr. Williams, who works in telephone sales, needs a ride to his job and cannot do quotidian things like opening jars and tying shoes. The blaze swept through the club, killing 100 people and injuring more than 200. Even if he died trying. Loved ones remember Station nightclub fire victims, 20 years later February 19, 2023, 6:46 PM WBZ-TV's Paul Burton reports. The third started that day. It is the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. For more information, please see our Barylick points to several instances shortly before the fire in which clubs withheld permission for pyrotechnics and Great White did not use it. This is a massive part of my life. The event, one of the worst . The Station nightclub on Cowesett Avenue and Kulas Road in West Warwick, Rhode Island, caught fire as the band Great White shot off pyrotechnics to punctuate its entrance on stage. Joe Kinan was badly burned in the deadly Station Nightclub fire in Rhode Island that left 100 dead and 230 injured in February 2003 . When January comes each year, she starts a lesson, delicately, talking about The Station and how there was a fire there. Distressing videos emerged Friday of terrified people fleeing a Thai nightclub after a fire broke out at the venue, killing at least 14 and injuring dozens more. Robin Petrarca was in New York City three weeks ago, looking for some laughs in a comedy club. That vantage point was lost after one chopper got so low it blew open body bags containing victims' remains. "Everyone carries baggage and I think at some point you figure out how to pack it and carry it with you," she said. Other disfigured survivors avoid going out in public, Ms. Fisher said, but she decided early on not to avoid the inevitable stares. 2.10.13: 'It went up like a match. Firefighter and RI state Rep. talks trauma, The Derderians are on a 'white-wash tour' in 2021 about The Station fire, says father who lost son, The former salesman for the company where the Derderians bought the deadly insulating foam says the fire destroyed his life. The loss is still fresh for her cousins, she said, even 15 years later. So that was huge.. Rhode Island nightclub burns A fire at a rock concert in a West Warwick, Rhode Island, nightclub kills 100 people and seriously injures almost 200 more on February 20, 2003. For the first February in 15 years, Lisa Del Sesto said, she hasn't had the nightmares. This is Bushs way of saying, Fuck you very much for voting against him in 2000. A controversial benefit tour by Great White raised less than $70,000 enough for about two weeks in intensive care for one fire victim. Today, the Cocoanut Grove fire remains, by far, the deadliest disaster of its kind in history. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. The accident occurred on Thursday, 20th February 2003 in West Warwick, Rhode Island, United States, resulting in the death of 100 individuals and injuring 230 others. Greatly. That day let her put a period on the last sentence of Chapter Two, she said. Vanner doesnt know when the night will be over. Families of victims, survivors share their stories of The Station nightclub fire | WJAR Monday marks 20 years since Rhode Island experienced the single worst disaster the state has ever. If they think about us at all, its probably, They must be all better, so why arent they back to work?. . People here were forgotten two weeks after the fire. They all say I never would have stopped it, and I probably wouldnt have. People come here to cry. The Station Nightclub Fire - Part 1. They sold thousands of shirts, held car washes, collected change outside grocery stores and organized benefit concerts, raising about $1 million over the last five years. 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. apparently he was there from a local news station filming a piece on nightclub safety hazards. So that was huge.". As the. The charge is pending. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Cookie Notice Sparks had ignited flammable foam that soundproofed the walls. Metal handrail and parked vehicles impede . That night, 492 people died. Station Fire Memorial Foundation rejects donation from Great White singer: The lead singer of the band whose fireworks touched off the Station nightclub fire that killed 100 people was forced to search for a new charity to be the recipient of money to be raised at a benefit concert in California. The 2003 nightclub fire in Rhode Island was the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history Feb 20, 2023 It took less than 5 minutes for fire to engulf The Station nightclub,. Editor's Note: This story was originally published on Monday, Feb. 19, 2018. In May 2000, the Derderians had paid a visit to Barry Warner, who lived close to The Station and had repeatedly complained about its noise under previous owners. But I don't want it to define the rest of my life. "They would want to talk," she said, "and they wouldn't freak. 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 tragedy, she said, heightened her appreciation of the life she was allowed, for whatever reason, to continue. While jailed, Biechele penned 100 handwritten apologies to victims families. She got out. It was there, she said, that she found the best therapists: others who had been in the fire. "You bury nine people in a period of less than two weeks," she said, "and yeah, I think it affects you. We make them every day, and we hope it doesnt cost a life.. Almost twenty years after one of the deadliest building fires in history, the owners of West Warwick, Rhode Island's The Station nightclub are speaking out. "As we're 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?'" A longtime fan, she went to Pennsylvania to see the band perform again eight months after the fire and ended up joining the lead singer, Jack Russell, on stage. "In my head, I didn't even belong with them because I walked out without a scratch.". Jeff and Michael Derderian changed their pleas from not guilty to no contest. In September 2006, Michael received four years imprisonment plus three years probation just as Biechele had. Im so sorry.. Jeffrey Derderian was sentenced to probation and 500 hours of community service (Tucker 2008). Two funds administered by the United Way and the Rhode Island Foundation raised almost $3.8 million for victims of the fire and their families, but gave out most early on. It was one of the deadliest nightclub fires in the nation's history, and an event that has had lasting consequences for hundreds of families. He refused to talk with reporters and entered an automobile driven by a lawyer. First, there is the issue of the club's capacity. I know how this tragedy has devastated me but I can only begin to understand what the people who lost loved ones have endured. The charge is pending. The Feb. 20 fire at the Station nightclub initially killed 96 people and injured dozens. He probably wasn't drinking, and was recently aware of the dangers involved in being in a packed club like that. He is now seven years sober from cocaine, although alcohol is a more "pestering problem," he says. The only thing I want is one of those huge TVs.. She wrote a book, meets with burn victims, talks to fire departments and fire safety groups across the country. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. 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. The flames were at first thought to be part of the act. After prison, Biechele rebuilding life in Fla.: Former tour manager who lit the pyrotechnics has left music industry behind, his lawyer says. Club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian were each charged with 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter. . He is now seven years sober from cocaine, although alcohol is a more pestering problem, he says. Biechele and Great White, the Derderian brother, Larocque and the town of West Warwick plus a host of others figured into lawsuits that led to a payout of $176 million to those who were injured and the families of those who died. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time For annual late-night Station remembrance, memorial a peaceful, meaningful addition: Station fire memorial nearing completion: Hundreds witness groundbreaking for Station fire memorial: Medical teams met the challenge; everyone who got out survived that night: In firefighters' hearts, the disaster isn't over: Quiet, emotional end for Station fire remnants: RI Hospital specialists, Station fire victims reflect after a decade since deadly blaze: Station fire, 15 years later: Survivors tell their stories: Station nightclub fire survivor tells burn victims love can happen amid scars, fears: Son of Great White guitarist cheers sick children to honor his dad: Gina Russo says she emerged from the flames in a better place: Fused by pain, Station fire survivors, loved ones mark 18th anniversary: Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The main exit becomes clogged with a pile of clubgoers who had tripped in the surge. We talk about fire safety a bit, I don't get too, too far into it.". Writing about previous shows, Barylick reports, At none of the venues where Biechele shot pyro did he secure the required pyrotechnics permits., Rhode Island had enacted a state building code in 2003 that required sprinklers in places of public assembly that could be occupied by more than 300 people. Taking her students to the memorial park and telling them what it means were ways of building that memory, she said. Death and Injury from Trampling, Fire, and Smoke Inhalation On the evening of February 20th, 2003, hundreds of people had filled The Station Nightclub in Warwick, Rhode Island. "It would have been my legacy," Vanner said. Turn on push notifications and don't miss anything! Even if the plaintiffs prevail, there may be little money to go around for those wounded in the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in American history. His former wife . According to Boston.com, Since being sent to prison, Michael Derderian has been disciplined for breaking the rules at his work release job and in prison. In urban areas, high turnover means that fire marshals rarely stick around long enough to learn all the nuances of the code. They are a collection of blue-collar music fans contractors, Wal-Mart workers, strippers, struggling musicians who made the mistake of turning up on February 20th, 2003, to see a washed-up boogie band, Great White, ignite outsized pyrotechnics, talismans of a long-gone glory, on a tiny stage ringed by cheap, flammable foam. Her father has seven brothers, Pimentel said, and she was especially close to Carlos. Some of the survivors of the Station fire will never work again, breathe properly, feed themselves or tan on a beach. When fireworks ignited the soundproofing foam on the stage wall, he ran for a fire extinguisher. She sees telling the story of the Station fire as a way of preventing others from going through the same thing. 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]. And regulations dont mean much unless they are consistently enforced. It is a tale of love lost, opportunities missed, true grit, triumph of the human spirit, and so much more. But even as they dare to explore their mutual desires, Sean discovers that the accident that . Lead singer Jack Russell said, Wow . At the time that the fire began there were reportedly over 440 occupants in the club. He tells her he wishes that hed tried to extinguish the fire. I dont know that Ill ever forgive myself for what happened that night so I cant expect anyone else to. A priest read her last rites. John Barylick in Killer Show points out that there is reason to believe the Derderians gave permission since the club had a history of pyrotechnics in shows. The 1980s rock Great White and its lead singer Jack Russell (playing as Jack Russell's Great White) for putting together the show as part of a tour of roadhouses seeking to rekindle past glory. A handful of defendants have settled, offering a tentative total of about $71.5 million. . She took a photograph of the stone of a man who died and sent it to his daughter in California. 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. Editors picks A state request for federal disaster relief was denied on grounds that the fire did not meet the definition of a natural disaster. Donovan Williams, a survivor who was burned over 70 percent of his body and was left legally blind, said he was counting on settlements from the lawsuit to really help people move on. After prison, Biechele rebuilding life in Fla.: How tragedy inspired one member of Great White. All told, 100 people were killed either in the fire or as a result of their injuries and it became the nation's fourth deadliest nightclub fire. He was the most badly burned survivor of the 2003 Station nightclub fire. The Station Fire Memorial Foundation procured the land known as the Station Site on September 28, 2012 through a gracious donation. Jeff told the audience that polyurethane foam is called solid gasoline by fire experts. She took a photograph of the stone of a man who died and sent it to his daughter in California. They would want to talk, she said, and they wouldnt freak. For example, in 2000, shortly after the Derderians purchased the venue, heavy-metal band W.A.S.P. In many communities, the crucial task of inspecting buildings in search of potentially life-threatening fire hazards falls to just one person. He is hoping that the fifth anniversary of the fire, on Feb. 20, will elicit more support, but he and other survivors have their doubts. the Station Nightclub invoked a swift response from government and non-governmental agencies including code developing bodies. 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. Fall River area victims of The Station nightclub fire The fire claimed the lives of people of many backgrounds and ages, including several from the Fall River area. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. As survivor Gina Russo and writer Paul Londardo reported in From the Ashes, the first theory was criminal negligence manslaughter, which results when the accused ignores the bodily risk to others and death results. White commented, Biecheles failure to get a permit in Rhode Island was not an unwitting, innocuous oversight but a deliberate, intentional decision not to abide by Rhode Island law., Biecheles attorney, Thomas G. Briody, noted that Biechele pled guilty despite his lawyers advice. It was crowded, and it was getting bad. Vanner wonders whether he could have saved them. She saw friends who had lost people they loved, others who had been burned and scarred by the fire, and felt embarrassed that she got out physically unharmed. this aint good. He ineffectually tossed the contents of a water bottle at a wall. "There had to be that period for me. The survivors are still waiting for their lawsuit against the Station owners and dozens of other defendants, the largest civil tort case in Rhode Island history, to play out in federal court. Thinking it part of the show, people shouted, Its great!. 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. Should PTSD qualify for injured-on-duty status? Nine friends didn't. At first, all kinds of help poured in for the roughly 200 injured survivors and families of 100 others who died in the disaster, one of the worst nightclub fires in the nations history. Im so sorry for what Ive done and I dont want to cause anyone any more pain. But instead, I chose to run like a common coward.. Station fire, 15 years later: Survivors tell their stories: While many say they will never get over it, they have found a way to get along with it. 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. The states Crime Victim Compensation Program awarded grants averaging $8,800 to 222 claimants after the fire, but the government provided little else. 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. Skin grafts make them itch, like junkies attacking their scabs if their fingers work at all. And Paul Vanner didnt like what he saw. to locate bodies. The Derderians ordered polyurethane foam from American Foam and installed blocks of it over the walls and ceiling on The Station. He sees a court-ordered therapist, who has told him he has depression and PTSD. 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Hazards falls to just one person contents of a water bottle at a wall scratch..! Public, Ms. Fisher said, even 15 years, Lisa Del Sesto said, that found. To probation and 500 hours of community service ( Tucker 2008 ) the defendant in is. A better experience were each charged with 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter for installation of the 2003 nightclub. 15 years later when fireworks ignited the soundproofing foam on the last sentence of Chapter two, she.. Else to for example, in 2000, shortly after the Derderians purchased the venue, heavy-metal W.A.S.P...