And I was paying staff pricing for beer because I knew a guy. 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. Bruce Cain also lost someone who he was prepared to spend the rest of his life with. As we mark 20 years since that night, here are those who. But, you know, they have this following to this day . Phil Barr: A lot of people moved back towards the main entrance it became really clear that we were not going to be able [to] get out the front door. People say they just feel peaceful, Russo told the Globe. 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. And I took a good look and I said, "Oh, st, I'm burned.". He had failed to get a license for the pyrotechnics from the State of Rhode Island and permits from the local fire department. I could have missed my daughter's high school graduation, the birth of her children. He spent 33 months in prison, while Jeff had to do 500 hours of community service. "I literally baked alive," says Linda Barr. " Linda Saran: It's like a riptide. In September 2008, The Jack Russell Tour Group Inc. offered $1 million in a settlement to survivors and victims' relatives. 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. The message is, Dont forget. Never forget these people or forget what happened., Stay up to date on all the latest news from Boston.com. My parents taught us a lot, a lot of things. Shed read Russos book, about how the fire left her a bald chick, and it convinced her to go back out into the world. 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. [21] The fire spread throughout the building and was completely engulfed within six minutes of the pyrotechnic ignition. In the months and years that followed, Jody also learned about Tracy's heroic last moments. "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. Both the brothers had other jobs. As numerous violations of existing codes contributed to the severity of the fire, there was immediate effort to strengthen fire code protections. Out of it. They are speaking out about the fire for the first time. 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. Station Fire Memorial Park, a permanent memorial to the victims of the fire, was opened in May 2017 at the site where the Station once stood. It was completely preventable. 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? [56], The sentence drew mixed reactions in the courtroom. The fire quickly spread over the dance floor, along the ceiling. 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. Jim Axelrod: To people who feel that the two of you have never said we own this what do you say? [95][49], Neither version of Great White performed in any of the six New England states for over a decade following the fire. It was crowded, and it was getting bad. But Saturday night, as . He still remembers that deadly night. Now in private practice, Lynch says he looked into a host of people. American Foam said Warner's claims about the company are false. 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? [51], Victims' families have also cited overcrowding in the venue as a cause for the causalities during the fire. ", "We are now at 65, and that may be higher ", Jeff Derderian: "Can you come in? [9] Michael Derderian told 48 Hours that it was "Undisputable" that the building's use of flammable packing foam instead of flame retardant sound foam was the cause of the fire's spread, but the brothers claimed that they had ordered sound foam and had received the packing foam instead. Pyrotechnics ignited foam insulation that lined the walls and ceiling around the stage, the National Institute of Standards and Technology concluded. As we hold those impacted by this tragedy close in our hearts, we also remember the remarkable and courageous actions of first responders, public safety officials, medical professionals, and Rhode Islanders who sprang into action to save lives on that day and who worked to comfort their communities in the days and weeks following.. This article was originally published on Oct. 22, 2021. I don't know that I'll ever forgive myself for what happened that night, so I can't expect anybody else to. if he had done that, then he would have obviously have said to us . For people to know you can go there now and look at this beautiful park and talk to your person thats what I love about it.. 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. Linda Saran still places much of it on the Derderian brothers. That day let her put a period on the last sentence of Chapter Two, she said. The third started that day. [85] By April 2016, $1.65 million of the $2 million fundraising goal had been achieved and construction of the Station Fire Memorial Park had commenced. That effort raised about $10,000 over seven years to help pay for the construction of the memorial park. I never imagined that anyone ever would be. Phil Barr: It was getting harder and harder to breathe I could feel tightness and constriction in my chest. Michael Derderian: It would have been horrific to have people go through this. WEST WARWICK, R.I. (WJAR) Gina Russo, who survived The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick in 2003, spoke with NBC 10's Mario Hilario on the morning of the 20th anniversary of the. 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. And people just stood there. [78], On the twentieth anniversary of the fire on February 20, 2023, Rhode Island governor Dan McKee ordered flags in Rhode Island lowered to half-staff for the day and the Rhode Island State House to be illuminated in memory of the 100 victims. And yet, at the point in time, I don't think I knew his name. Flames can be seen on the back wall. Phil Barr: I asked my pulmonologist, you know, "when can I get back in the pool?" [76] Another memorial was later that night the West Warwick Civic Center. Obviously the nightclub was not in compliance, and there never should have been pyrotechnics, but there's no evidence the bouncers blocked people from . In February 2008, Providence television station. And then we've got the pressure from the judge saying you know, you're going to go to jail for 30 years apiece. Within six minutes, the entire building was engulfed in flames. And then, ever so slowly, he learned to walk again. JACK RUSSELL [news interview]: Rock and Roll is supposed to be fun, not deadly you know. He trusted in his friends. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. On Feb. 20, 2003, 100 people were killed and more than 200 others were injured in a fire at the Station nightclub in West Warwick. I ran across the room and I ran face-first into the wall. Also there that night was Bates College student Phil Barr, who was home for winter break. I was asked to work the merch table for the band, so I was getting 40 bucks and two T-shirts. Jody King: Nine different families have come up to me and said "thank you for having a great brother. So, I actually got a really good sense of the layout of the venue.". 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. A California woman who had been injured in an accident and hadnt left her house in five years wrote her, she said. People recall the events of the fourth deadliest night club fire in U.S. history. The brothers say they are still haunted by the events of that horrific night. [30] Longley reportedly died after returning to the building to retrieve his guitar. Phil Barr: and I felt the door and I just heaved my shoulder into it. During a concert by the rock band Great White, a pyrotechnic display ignited flammable acoustic foam in the walls and ceilings surrounding the stage. That was in like the 80s. I am proud. The Station nightclub fire would become one of the deadliest fires in a club in U.S. history. Things that bring back memories of that night we try to stay away from. However, on September 21, 2006, Judge Darigan announced that the brothers had changed their pleas from "not guilty" to "no contest," thereby avoiding a trial. Today she is president of the Station Fire Memorial Foundation, the group that oversaw the construction of the memorial park. 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. The company paid a hefty settlement and they weren't the only ones. Michael Derderian: The club was sold. Linda Saran: The foam was raining down and the flames are dripping from the ceiling. They all say I never would have stopped it, and I probably wouldnt have. In an exclusive interview with "48 Hours" contributor Jim Axelrod, the Derderians said they wanted to set the record straight and reveal new information about that foam and accountability. And I said my hands won't work. They go for 15 seconds and they go 15 feet into the air. I couldn't hear noise. [38] Derderian had begun working for WPRI on February 17, three days before the fire. Michael Derderian: No. 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. Michael Derderian: Remember, I'm still in Florida. PATRICK LYNCH [news interview]: Certainly, there are people we are looking at, ultimately, we may target. 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 . The brothers have always maintained that they never gave the band permission to use pyrotechnics. The Foam.". [27] A portion of the nightclub roof collapsed at 11:57 p.m., and a second portion in the building's sunroom collapsed at 12:07 a.m..[24] Patients were transported to Kent Hospital, which was filled to maximum capacity due to the fire. Like, "get away from the building." Linda Saran: Second- and-third-degree burns, over 34 percent of my body from the heat. The blaze began when the band Jack Russell's Great White took the stage and their tour manager set off four large fireworks. The pyrotechnics ignited the walls on either side of the stage and within seconds flames spread along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling of the club intended to dampen sound. It was there, she said, that she found the best therapists: others who had been in the fire. The loss is still fresh for her cousins, she said, even 15 years later. [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. He is now seven years sober from cocaine, although alcohol is a more pestering problem, he says. So that was huge.. [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. Barr says when he came to, he felt excruciating pain near the base of his spine and burning on his face. [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. So, I would think that the pyrotechnic provision would be in there just like we need to have, you know, 12 M&Ms, I mean, you know, and they need to be brown.