S01:E01 - San Francisco Freeway Collapse. [26] The Cowesett Inn restaurant across the street from the Station acted as an ad-hoc burn triage and command center for first responders. Scott James: And the nightclub operator there was so angry when he saw what had happened in Rhode Island, he went public, and he even made public the contract that he had with Great White that showed there was no evidence of fireworks that were going to be part of the show. At 55, he lives with his parents and keeps to himself. And that's when the crowd realizes this is a real danger and we have to get out of here. They all later accepted plea deals. 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. Michael Derderian: We say that they we're sorry for all of it. Today she is president of the Station Fire Memorial Foundation, the group that oversaw the construction of the memorial park. This is the time to leave. [2] The three were each charged with 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter with criminal negligence and 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter in violation of a misdemeanor. And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through. 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. We're running out of time." I went and laid down next to Deb and just waited to die. At the time of The Station fire, older clubs in Rhode Island weren't required to install sprinklers. I could have missed my daughter's high school graduation, the birth of her children. [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. Phil Barr: I remember the smoke descended really quickly. my dad was in the room. The February 25 concert at the Dunkin' Donuts Center was broadcast Sunday night on VH1 and VH1 Classic. Gina Russo, a survivor of The Station nightclub fire. What kind of club was this? [88], Russell considered disbanding Great White after the fire, but reconsidered when he decided to embark on a benefit tour. Biechele. Linda Saran still places much of it on the Derderian brothers. Gina Russo, who was in The Station on Feb. 20, 2003, barely made it out. [94] Russell's group made its first New England appearance in twelve years at a harvest festival in Mechanic Falls, Maine, in August 2015. And people stood and watched it, and some people backed off. [48] The capacity for the Station was either 258 or 404, depending on how the building was being used. The third started that day. And yet, at the point in time, I don't think I knew his name. if he had done that, then he would have obviously have said to us . At the scene, Jody King was desperate for information about his brother, and began to fear the worst. 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. That was the most important thing, they didnt freak.. So, the only way to pick up a can of soda would be to do this [lifting both arms out parallel in front of her]. They promoted the event. Michael and Jeff Derderian pleaded no contest to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and agreed to a deal. Scott James: They only have about 60 seconds to get out of the building if they're going to live. Linda Saran was a regular at The Station. if I had nothing to hide, then why wouldn't you why wouldn't you talk to them and tell them what you knew or what you didn't know? Michael spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. Jeff Derderian: We tried to get as far as we could. Linda Saran: When I first went out the window, I landed on the stairs. I never wanted anyone to be hurt in any way. Jim Axelrod: And then it just got engulfed in flames? So, to the people who think we don't own it I'm telling you, we DO own it ok? Phil Barr awoke after three weeks in a medically induced coma and was told his lungs had been badly damaged. Eighteen years later, there was no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. And I remember that statement, because I was, like, this is not great. When King arrived, he saw the devastating scene. Jim Axelrod: Did either of you know anything about running a nightclub? Patrick Lynch: First of all, I think it's pathetic, disgusting and unsettling to think that they're even speaking now The foam that they put up had a direct impact on the survivability of the bulk of the people that were assembled that night. 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. But many, including the brothers, feel strongly Laroque should also have been charged. [9] The lack of usable exits were also a factor, as was the inward door that Larocque had found and asked to be removed. If they stood up and said, small business owners, we were inexperienced. Michael owned a financial services business; Jeff was a local news reporter. The Station was owned by brothers Jeff and Michael Derderian. I remember getting pushed from behind. ", "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? . They all say I never would have stopped it, and I probably wouldnt have. He sees a court-ordered therapist, who has told him he has depression and PTSD. [60] As of 2013[update], Biechele lived in Florida with his wife and two children. Del Sesto said her life is told in three chapters now. Witnesses of the nearly mile-wide tornado recount how they managed to survive. [43][45], An investigation of the fire by a Rhode Island state grand jury was started by then-Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch on February 26, 2003. Things that bring back memories of that night we try to stay away from. [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. Pyrotechnics ignited foam insulation that lined the walls and ceiling around the stage, the National Institute of Standards and Technology concluded. Saran was one of the more than 200 who were seriously hurt in the fire. It seems senseless that something like this could happen. He threw my wife, my cousin, my uncle, my sister out a window." Jody King: "Anybody see Tracy?" [tears up] And the roof and just everything just fast, too fast. To the right is this much larger space in front of a stage. Like Barr, Linda Saran had also spent three weeks in a medically induced coma. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. 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. Linda Saran: The foam was raining down and the flames are dripping from the ceiling. Michael Derderian: They got this fax and it went on to describe the business practices of the foam company. Follow Boston.com on Instagram (Opens in a New Tab), Follow Boston.com on Twitter (Opens in a New Tab), Like Boston.com on Facebook (Opens in a New Tab), R.I. State House homeless encampment removed after legal fight, After the 80th anniversary of the tragic fire, a Cocoanut Grove memorial is coming to Boston, This affordable airline says it will bring at least 20 routes to an R.I. airport. Petrarca was sitting near the bar that night in 2003, about five feet from a door, when the fire broke out. Jeffrey Derderian received 500 hours of community service. She paused, her eyes tearing. [104] It was last introduced in the House in 2015 by then-U.S. Reps. James Langevin of Rhode Island and Tom Reed of New York.[104]. Jim Axelrod: If the brothers are relying on the fire marshal to tell them whether or not they can continue to do business. 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. Her fianc, Alfred Freddy Crisostomi, who was behind her, pushing her toward the door, perished. She endured more than 50 operations. The Derderians say despite their love for the club the business had peaked, and they were in the process of selling it. Dan Biechele, center, at his sentencing. So, I actually got a really good sense of the layout of the venue. The Station Nightclub Fire: Who's Responsible? 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.. And that's when I noticed the black on my arms. As we mark 20 years since that night, here are those who. A surgery to correct a childhood ailment with his ears left him able to balance objects on his chin. They were told to take it down. How is it our responsibility if they gave us the wrong foam?". As a result of this and other similar incidents, fire chiefs, fire marshals and inspectors require trained crowd managers to comply with the International Fire Code, NFPA-101 Life Safety Code, NFPA-1 Fire Code and many local ordinances that address safety in public-assembly occupancies. And they're quick to point out the club was inspected by their insurance company, and multiple times by the local Fire Marshal Denis Laroque. But with last springs dedication of the memorial on the old nightclub site, Del Sesto said she thinks she has found a way not to forget, but to live with the memories. Michael Derderian: It would have been horrific to have people go through this. 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 Jody King kneels at his brother Tracy's memorial. [89] "I don't think I could ever sing that song again," said Russell. "48 Hours" is not showing any of that footage. Jim Axelrod: There are so many people still to this day angry that the case didn't go to trial. [21] Twenty seconds after the pyrotechnics ended, the band stopped playing and lead singer Jack Russell calmly remarked into the microphone, "Wow that's not good. ", "20 years later, the effects of the Station nightclub fire still linger - The Boston Globe", "The Great White Nightclub Fire: Ten Years Later", "In West Warwick firefighters' hearts, the disaster isn't over", "How a West Warwick restaurant became a triage center for burn victims", "20th anniversary of New England nightclub fire that killed 100", "State supreme court to review penalty for employee deaths in R.I. fire - UPI.com", "Workers comp. Season 1. How did you meet him? Stay up to date with everything Boston. The brothers sent a fax to the foam company specifically asking for sound foam. Well, I guess once we all started to turn toward the door, and we got bottle-necked into the front door, people just kept pushing, and eventually everyone popped out of the door, including myself. There was nothing heroic about what I did.. Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison. Jody King says his brother enjoyed working for the Derderians. [25] Fire departments in Warwick, Coventry, and Cranston rendered mutual aid to the fire site. Linda Saran: The bar got quiet because people were dying literally and all you could hear was the roar of the fire and liquor bottles exploding. I noticed when the pyro stopped, the flame had kept going on both sides. The story of three survivors that were trapped when the massive Cypress Street viaduct collapsed. Phil Barr [teary-eyed]: Getting another opportunity to live my life came with enormous responsibility. In 2017 a memorial was opened to honor the100 innocent lives that were tragically lost in The Station fire, including Tracy King, who died saving so many others. You were not approaching that area at all. Patrick Lynch: You're telling me it wasn't, and I don't know that it wasn't. And then, ever so slowly, he learned to walk again. Scott James: The fire alarm you hear it kick in. Tracy King died saving many others the night of the fire. One near the bar. The brother's plea deal stated only one of them would go to prison. I said to myself, we gotta go. ", "We are now at 65, and that may be higher ", Jeff Derderian: "Can you come in? Regardless, Lynch points out the Derderians still chose to take a plea deal instead of going to trial. We haven't played it since then and probably never will. 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. To satisfy noise complaints from neighbors, the brothers had installed foam along the club's walls and ceilings. When fireworks ignited the soundproofing foam on the stage wall, he ran for a fire extinguisher. I would see the burn survivors, whom Im lucky enough to call friends, Del Sesto said. And settled for $1 million. Published on August 10, 2017 09:05 AM. One guy did crawl out. Scott James: It was a typical kind of roadside dive. It was crowded, and it was getting bad. But she said she also wants to keep the people she has met from that night, who she sees as friends and not sharers of a horrible experience. 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. That's what the code says. It was that fast. 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. The first time I went to counseling, I made the therapist cry, Del Sesto said. The State of Rhode Island and the town of West Warwick agreed to pay $10 million as settlement. [3] A fire had previously occurred at the building in 1972 while it was used as a restaurant called Julio's. [47] Larocque was not charged by the grand jury, as Lynch had cited a state law that prevented charges against fire marshals without proof of bad faith. But does that mean it's not a crime? The answer is no. 2003 deadly fire at a rock concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island, USA, Great White, Jack Russell, and Mark Kendall, National Institute of Standards and Technology, "The Station nightclub fire 10 years later: Healing continues as West Warwick, Rhode Island, takes next step in recovery", "The Station Fire: Timeline of a tragedy", "Station tragedy leads to tougher fire code", "Report of the Technical Investigation of The Station Nightclub Fire (NIST NCSTAR 2), Volume 1", "Beyond grief: Trying to make sense out of the Station tragedy", "Tragedy Catches Up to a Metal Band Past Its Prime", "Great White Fireworks Set Off a Controversy", "The Station nightclub fire: What happened and who's to blame for disaster that killed 100? It would become one of the deadliest fires in a club in U.S. history. The Guest List: The Station Nightclub Fire, America's Deadliest Rock Concert will premiere on Sunday, February 20, 2022. [79], The site of the fire was cleared, and a multitude of crosses were placed as memorials, left by loved ones of the deceased. Scott James: You have four exits. The brothers say they are still haunted by the events of that horrific night. It fuels you. Dan McKee stopped by the memorial on the 20th anniversary of the fire Monday. Jim Axelrod: To people who feel that the two of you have never said we own this what do you say? Jody King: When he walked into a room, if there wasn't a smile he'd start balancing stuff to get you uplifted and smiling. I'm going to do this. And he says you can. PATRICK LYNCH [press conference]: We have an investigation on going and we need help, we need answers and I'm trying to get them.