Jim Axelrod: And then it just got engulfed in flames? The Station Nightclub Fire: Who's Responsible? The four exits inside The Station: "There's an exit near the stage an exit through the kitchen. There isn't a guilt in terms of like, that we knowingly did this or or caused it but there's a guilt that we it happened on our watch, happened on our watch. Tweet. [80], A permanent memorial at the site of the fire has been erected and named the Station Fire Memorial Park. [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. It started as part of the fundraising basketball games she organized at the school. Regardless, Lynch points out the Derderians still chose to take a plea deal instead of going to trial. They are speaking out about the fire for the first time. But I dont want it to define the rest of my life. Del Sesto said her life is told in three chapters now. [6], Great White, the headlining band of the February 20 concert, had risen to fame as part of the glam metal scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s. And so, when the fire inspector came in and said that that door had to come down the door, the door did come down. There was nothing heroic about what I did.. Phil Barr: I don't like to talk about it, but I remember feeling weight on top of me, and I'm pretty sure I crawled out from under another person to pull myself up. A true hero would have gone for it, Vanner said. And settled for $1 million. The second was the time from that night until the dedication of the memorial last spring. It's like a surge of bodies. The biggest question was, why had the fire spread so quickly? I could have missed that My friends that didn't survive that night have missed that. [61] Michael Derderian received fifteen years in prison, with four to serve and eleven years suspended, plus three years' probationthe same sentence as Biechele. The first time I went to counseling, I made the therapist cry, Del Sesto said. Scott James: It smelled like spilled beer and stale cigarettes and everything was just a little bit frayed at the edge. [96] By 2013, Russell's group had resumed playing "Desert Moon". It is now mandatory for nightclubs with occupancy over 150 to have them. Linda Saran: I think a lot of people miss out on the moments. He trusted in his friends. People recall the events of the fourth deadliest night club fire in U.S. history. Michael Derderian: That is correct. People say they just feel peaceful, Russo told the Globe. Barr was now outside, but he felt like his lungs were on fire. This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 14:21. 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. One of the angles Lynch investigated was the Derderian brothers. Jim Axelrod: Did you have enough time to form those complete thoughts? Like Barr, Linda Saran had also spent three weeks in a medically induced coma. Jim Axelrod: Does this mean you feel a sense of responsibility? And I hear [moves her arms to the side with a whoosh] and out Deb went. That's all I can keep seeing in my head. He doesn't know. Dan McKee stopped by the memorial on the 20th anniversary of the fire Monday. 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. So, it was not a great decision to use these inside a nightclub that only has 12-foot ceilings. 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. : In 2021, 48 Hours described the total civil payments to the victims and families as $176 million. After 15 years of it being a dominant part of her everyday life, she said she is ready for it to be a part of her past. [95][49], Neither version of Great White performed in any of the six New England states for over a decade following the fire. [76] Another memorial was later that night the West Warwick Civic Center. He is now seven years sober from cocaine, although alcohol is a more pestering problem, he says. Gina Russo, a survivor of The Station nightclub fire. The Station Nightclub Fire Tragedy Memorial Site - Legacy.com You see on your left the horseshoe-shaped bar. [2], In the months prior to the fire, the building had been inspected twice by West Warwick fire marshal Denis Larocque. Its irrelevant.. I refused to accept that as the outcome. Jason Hahn. So, I actually got a really good sense of the layout of the venue. This is the time to leave. 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. 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. The Station was owned by brothers Michael and Jeff Derderian. He wasnt charged with a crime, but his thoughts punish him. 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.. Jim Axelrod: When you come to, you're in a hospital room. 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. But 15 years later, she said, its time for her to move out of its shadow. REELZ announces documentary about Great White club fire Michael Derderian: Correct. One near the bar. Linda will forever wear the scars of that horrible night. [39], At the scene of the fire, Butler gave this account of the tragedy:[41]. 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. The Derderians have always maintained that they never gave the band permission to use pyrotechnics. The Station nightclub fire: What happened, how many died, who was Jim Axelrod: Over the course of the investigation, what did you learn about the way the brothers ran their business? 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. Jody King: "Anybody see Tracy?" Lynch also points out that the exits were a safety issue. That was in like the 80s. There's an exit near the stage. Why had the fire spread so quickly? And that's when the crowd realizes this is a real danger and we have to get out of here. Since 2003, the approach of the anniversary of the Station fire, where she and her twin sister, Cara Ann, got out unhurt while 100 others died and about 200 more were injured, was four weeks of dread. "I literally baked alive," says Linda Barr. " Because so many people that were there don't have that opportunity. That was his gift. [29] The initial death toll was 96 people; Four more individuals died in the hospital in the weeks following, bringing the toll to 100. [93] After a 2013 legal settlement between the two parties, Kendall's band retained the Great White name, while Russell's band was allowed to use the name Jack Russell's Great White. She paused, her eyes tearing. To the families of those who died on that devastating day: Rhode Island will never forget your loved ones and we will always stand by you, McKee said in the statement. "[23] Within 40 seconds of the ignition, Great White had stopped playing and left the stage and the venue's fire alarm began to sound, but it was not connected to local fire department. 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. The brothers sent a fax to the foam company specifically asking for sound foam. [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. Survivor of The Station nightclub fire reflects on 20th anniversary [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. She endured more than 50 operations. The TIAs also required additional crowd manager personnel, among other things. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. We talk about fire safety a bit, I dont get too, too far into it.. And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through. At the time of the fire, he had just started a new job closer to home in Providence at the local CBS station. One guy did crawl out. Dont take life for granted and I miss her every day She was my world and now shes my angel.. 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. Survivors of nightclub fire that killed 100 share stories - FireRescue1 About a month after the fire Barr went home from the hospital. I noticed when the pyro stopped, the flame had kept going on both sides. He apologized to the families of the victims and made no attempt to mitigate his guilt," the letter said. 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.". The Station Nightclub Fire: Revisiting the Lessons

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