For the first February in 15 years, Lisa Del Sesto said, she hasn't had the nightmares. Out of the ashes of the Station fire, tougher building codes arose: R.I.'s fire safety rules changed from arcane and confusing to a modern code more easily understood. Within. The Station fire changed how we view fire safety. I cant do it for the rest of my life, she said. But I dont want it to define the rest of my life. She took a photograph of the stone of a man who died and sent it to his daughter in California. 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. Published on August 10, 2017 09:05 AM. Her thick scars keep her from sweating normally, and she has trouble distinguishing hot from cold. 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. The noxious smell triggered panic. (WPRI) Carlton Howorth III, known as "Buddy," was one of the 100 people who died inside the Station nightclub fire. The guy filming was doing so for a piece on nightclub safety if you can even believe the irony of that . When fireworks ignited the soundproofing foam on the stage wall, he ran for a fire extinguisher. Nearly 500 people died at The Cocoanut Grove that night in the United States' most deadly nightclub disaster. Share. Dee Snider, the lead singer for the band Twisted Sister and the concerts host, said country and Christian rock performers would join metal bands onstage to broaden the causes appeal. Facing government apathy, the survivors of the Rhode Island club disaster struggle to regain their lives, Rescue workers, firefighters and police officers pull bodies from the burned-out remains of The Station, a nightclub in West Warwick, R.I. February 21st, 2003, The Life and Death of the Children of God Messiah, Alex MurdaughCalled 'Family Annihilator' by Prosecution in Murder Trial, Fresh Controversy for Ja Morant as NBA Star Is Accused of Assaulting Teen, Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe Review: A Candy-Coated Balm for the Soul, NYPD's Violent Tactics During 2020 Protests Will Cost New York City, Tax Payers Millions, People Are Getting Pregnant on TikToks Trendy 'On-Demand' Birth Control, Jason Derulo Pens First Book 'Sing Your Name Out Loud', Wizkid More Love, Less Ego Tour Postponed to Fall 2023, How to Watch 'The Mandalorian' Online: Stream Season 3 Now. At least 60children lost one or more parent in the blaze; 23people lost a spouse. I never wanted anyone to be hurt in any way. Enter https://www.firerescue1.com/ and click OK. Gina Russo has no clear memory of how, with her hair on fire, she got out of the Station nightclub the night of Feb. 20, 2003. Flames had burned more than 40percent of Russos body: her arms, hands, head and back. While many say they will never get over it, they have found a way to get along with it. Her bill was $646 that month, she said. "They would want to talk," she said, "and they wouldn't freak. Even if he died trying. The charge is pending. Many of the victims . 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. 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. The fire ignited when the bands tour manager lit pyrotechnics on a small stage surrounded by highly flammable foam used as soundproofing. 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. She took a photograph of the stone of a man who died and sent it to his daughter in California. I can pick certain things up, but most of the time Ill drop them. 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. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. In my head, I didnt even belong with them because I walked out without a scratch.. 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. Great White lead singer Russell and manager Biechele asserted they had the Derderians permission. 2.10.13: 'It went up like a match. He called his plea an effort to bring peace.. On Feb. 20, 2003, The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, burst into flames when pyrotechnics from the rock band landed on flammable foam installed as soundproofing. What band was playing at The Station and what their role was, Why it's important to Rhode Island and the lasting changes that were made, What to know about the Station Fire Memorial Park, Firemen, doctors and journalists: For everyone who was involved that night, the memories still haunt them, Survivors of that deadly fire tell their tale. Two decades after 100 people were killed in. Within seconds, sheets of flame raced up the wall. The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., was on fire. Gina Russo has no clear memory of how, with her hair on fire, she got out of the Station nightclub the night of Feb. 20, 2003. 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. If it had been people at the opera that night, there would have been a big difference.. I said to myself, we gotta go. People come here to cry. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . She finallywent home, on June 13th, 113 days after the Great White concert. the Station Nightclub invoked a swift response from government and non-governmental agencies including code developing bodies. He turned back to see the crowd bottle-necked at the stage. 14 years after 100. On December 4, 2003 a grand jury voted 200 indictments against Biechele and both Derderians. Survivors, families, friends, firefighters, doctors and nurses were left to carry the physical and emotional scars of that night. "In my head, I didn't even belong with them because I walked out without a scratch.". Band road manager Daniel Biechele, for triggering the pyrotechnics that sparked the fire. She said she spent years after that in pain and anger. Mr. Williams, who works in telephone sales, needs a ride to his job and cannot do quotidian things like opening jars and tying shoes. It was criminal, he says. It requires sprinklers in every nightclub serving more than 150 people. For more information, please see our These days, she uses her job as a teacher at John F. Deering Middle School to make it so those who didn't suffer so directly will remember it too. The Derderians ordered polyurethane foam from American Foam and installed blocks of it over the walls and ceiling on The Station. She wore a spaghetti-strap top so he could see her scars. Select from premium Dance Club On West of the highest quality. and our Survivor Russo experienced sympathy for Biechele whom she called broken but noted that, although he was anguished, any sympathy survivors had was tempered by our own pain. Her fianc, Alfred Crisostomi, had died in the fire and she had suffered burns over 40% of her body. 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 band halted. Judge Darigan asked Biechele if he wanted to say anything before the court passed sentence. "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 May's dedication of the park on the site of the Station nightclub. 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. How he went from being a man with a job he loved and friends, to someone struggling with sobriety and guilt, suffering flashbacks at fire alarms and smoke-like fog. I found my soul was wanting.. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The Station Fire: 100 victims in photos 98 PHOTOS More Stories Has fire prevention in RI improved since The Station fire? I dont think anyone is going to be made a millionaire and drive a Mercedes, she said. They all say I never would have stopped it, and I probably wouldnt have. When fireworks ignited the soundproofing foam on the stage wall, he ran for a fire extinguisher. His camera caught excited, beer drinking, smiling heavy-metal fans. 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. That day let her put a period on the last sentence of Chapter Two, she said. The first was her life before Feb. 20, 2003. I said to myself, we gotta go. The fire left her with burns over 40 percent of her body, it incinerated her hair. A new documentary recounting that terrible. Petrarca was sitting near the bar that night in 2003, about five feet from a door, when the fire broke out. Melinda was eight months pregnant at the time. The Station fire changed how we view fire safety. Other disfigured survivors avoid going out in public, Ms. Fisher said, but she decided early on not to avoid the inevitable stares. Metal handrail and parked vehicles impede . It took about five years to come to terms with that, she said. The Derderian brothers were targets of criminal investigations and civil lawsuits. On February 17, 2003 someone discharged pepper spray to break up a fistfight in a Chicago nightclub. Many remain furious that one of the clubs owners was sentenced to community service and the other is expected to leave prison next year. She had seen the 1980s heavy-metal band many times in the past, including once at Liquid . Jeffrey Derderian was sentenced to community service. He sees a court-ordered therapist, who has told him he has depression and PTSD. Founded in 2010, Thought Catalog is owned and operated by The Thought & Expression Company, Inc. For over a decade, we've been at the bleeding edge of media, pioneering an infrastructure for creatives to flourish both artistically and financially. '", 15 years after the deadly Station Nightclub fire https://t.co/ApQgkrkI7A pic.twitter.com/tytNEKAX5F. The group came under attack for accepting about $100,000 from Great White early on, with some survivors and relatives of the dead calling it blood money. "The first time I went to counseling, I made the therapist cry," Del Sesto said. In the days after the tragedy, the Derderians and Great White disputed whether the band had permission for pyrotechnics. 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. A lot of the blue collar, average people whove already dipped into their pockets time and time again you can only give so much., 5 Years After a Nightclub Fire, Survivors Struggle to Remake Their Lives, https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/us/17survivors.html, Linda Fisher has had a dozen surgeries, and says a burn injury is a life injury.. YouTube / National Fire Protection Association. 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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. For annual late-night Station remembrance, memorial a peaceful, meaningful addition: On the 15th anniversary of the deadly nightclub fire, a peaceful memorial opened for the victims, family members and survivors and so that all of Rhode Island would remember. For everyone who was involved, the memories still haunt them. 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. Taking her students to the memorial park and telling them what it means were ways of building that memory, she said. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. "They all say I never would have stopped it, and I probably wouldn't have. On the anniversary of the fire, Ms. Fisher and other survivors will gather at a restaurant across from the former Station site, where a circle of ragged crosses form a makeshift memorial to the dead. 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. A state request for federal disaster relief was denied on grounds that the fire did not meet the definition of a natural disaster. The Station nightclub was a run-down roadhouse in the old New England mill town. That vantage point was lost after one chopper got so low it blew open body bags containing victims' remains. He is now seven years sober from cocaine, although alcohol is a more pestering problem, he says. Quiet, emotional end for Station fire remnants: The more than 700 pieces of evidence, trucked from the Cranston warehouse where they had been held in evidence storage, were destroyed. Robin Petrarca was in New York City three weeks ago, looking for some laughs in a comedy club. He is now seven years sober from cocaine, although alcohol is a more "pestering problem," he says. 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. Station nightclub fire victims' portraits - Boston.com Station nightclub fire Names are listed in alphabetical order by last name. 2010 The Thought & Expression Company, LLC. Im so sorry for what Ive done and I dont want to cause anyone any more pain. He was the most badly burned survivor of the 2003 Station nightclub fire. I did not lead them out, he said dismissively. Vanner wonders whether he could have saved them. That was the most important thing, they didnt freak.. She said she went into the club that night a naive, fun-loving 27-year-old and came out angry and feeling guilty. Few people other than staff knew of the kitchen and bar doors. The charge is pending. We make them every day, and we hope it doesnt cost a life.. Copyright 2023 FireRescue1. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time In the aftermath, Vanner battled an addiction to crack cocaine and alcohol, which he used to cope but which cost him jobs and his driver's license. the Station nightclub . 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. local Four nonstop flights to Florida cities from PVD added by. He tells her he wishes that hed tried to extinguish the fire. 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. 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. The fire started at the West Warwick club when a manager for the band Great White set off pyrotechnics for the band's show. The Station nightclub fire that killed 100 people and injured hundreds more will never be forgotten by those who were there or lost loved ones. "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]. She wrote a book, meets with burn victims, talks to fire departments and fire safety groups across the country. . . . 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 flipped a switch that caused lead singer Blackie Lawlesss crotch to erupt with showering sparks. They were charged with two counts for every lost life under separate theories of the crime. I had fourth-degree burns there, which means my hair will never grow back, she says. According to the Report of the Technical Investigation of the incident, the fire was . At 11:07 p.m., as the band launched into its opener . Among the dead was the band's guitarist, Ty Longley. It made me realize, I might be only one person, but my story and my injuries were making people listen, she said. People stare at them in public, at the bandannas that cover their hairless heads, at their red, claw-like hands, their lack of certain facial features, their melted ears. Station fire memorial nearing completion: Organizers say they have raised more than $1.9 million of the $2 million needed to build it and maintain it in perpetuity. Families of the killed and survivors sought for years to have the site of the horror turned into a permanent memorial. She endured more than 50 operations. It took about five years to come to terms with that, she said. The Station Nightclub was a popular heavy metal nightclub in West Warwick, RI built in 1946 and grandfathered out of the 1976 fire sprinkler law. Another 230 people were injured in what ranks as the nations fourth-deadliest nightclub fire. Barylick points to several instances shortly before the fire in which clubs withheld permission for pyrotechnics and Great White did not use it. All defendants settled. "Everyone carries baggage and I think at some point you figure out how to pack it and carry it with you," she said. The surviving band members one died that night are named in the lawsuit, but some, including Ms. Fisher, do not hold them responsible. Her bill was $646 that month, she said. Editors picks Find Dance Club On West stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. While jailed, Biechele penned 100 handwritten apologies to victims families. The Station Fire Memorial Foundation procured the land known as the Station Site on September 28, 2012 through a gracious donation. As a result of the fire, the grandfather clause exempting buildings built before the mandatory sprinkler law was abolished and all Rhode Island nightclubs are required to have sprinklers. Shrieks filled the air as people raced to leave the inferno. On the night of February 20, 2003, more than 400 music fans packed into the small Station nightclub. Im so sorry.. 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. It is a tale of love lost, opportunities missed, true grit, triumph of the human spirit, and so much more. The fire spread quickly along the ceiling area over the dance floor. Kinan had . This is a massive part of my life. Club owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian were each charged with 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter. . I figured I was on my own at that point.. The bouncers had been instructed that door was only for band members and associates. As the. The first time I went to counseling, I made the therapist cry, Del Sesto said. 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. But even as they dare to explore their mutual desires, Sean discovers that the accident that . I will never forget that night and I will never forget the people that were hurt by it. . In many communities, the crucial task of inspecting buildings in search of potentially life-threatening fire hazards falls to just one person. But not by Jody King. Its just one of those things thats ingrained in you.. All rights reserved. At the time that the fire began there were reportedly over 440 occupants in the club. 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. How many people died in the station nightclub fire? I dont know that Ill ever forgive myself for what happened that night so I cant expect anyone else to. He sees his actions as a verdict on his own humanity. We talk about fire safety a bit, I dont get too, too far into it.. This week marks 20 years since the horrific Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island, which killed 100 people and left 230 injured. Biechele and Michael Derderian were sentenced to four years in prison, though each was let out early. Victoria Eagan, who had walked to the Station from her home a block away, had been a couple of rows from the stage when the fire began. When January comes each year, she starts a lesson, delicately, talking about The Station and how there was a fire there. It's irrelevant.". Lead singer Jack Russell said, Wow . But for anyone who was in The Station nightclub on Feb. 20, 2003, she said, a night out triggers an awareness. Medical costs continue to mount, much of which will be paid from the nearly empty pockets of Rhode Island taxpayers, via Medicaid, and the budgets of a handful of local hospitals, which have been losing millions of dollars for years. West Warwick police officer Mark Knott radioed headquarters: Stampede.. Just seconds after 80s sensation Great White took the stage, pyrotechnics ignited a fire. "I would see the burn survivors, whom I'm lucky enough to call friends," Del Sesto said. Fifteen years after that deadly night, the rubble cleared away, The Station Fire Memorial Park opened as a place for victims, family and friends to come and remember. People come here to reflect. The event, one of the worst . When others turned away from the Derderians, King remained. "I had the fire extinguisher in my hand," Vanner said. Gina Russo says she emerged from the flames in a better place: But 10 years after the fire killed her fianc, after 54 operations and skin grafts to heal her burned body and treat recurring complications; after periods of sadness, anger and frustration over who was lost, who wasnt prosecuted, who never apologized, Russo says she is grateful. The Station Nightclub Fire - Part 1. Part of the reason he served more time than Biechele may have been that Michael was less than a model prisoner. ", "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. Like many in a small state where news travels fast, the Providence-based lawyer had already heard about the previous night's fire at the Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I.he knew about the pyrotechnics gone terribly wrong, the flaming wall of soundproofing, and the deadly . The night of the fire, hundreds of people gathered at The Station to see Great White, an 80s band now with some new members lead by singer Jack Russell and known mainly for their hit "Once. It started as part of the fundraising basketball games she organized at the school. 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. One year after the fire killed 100 people and injured nearly 200 at the Station, a nightclub in the broken-down mill town of West Warwick, emotions remain raw all across the state. this aint good. He ineffectually tossed the contents of a water bottle at a wall. Realizing the truth, Biechele gasped, I think Im in trouble. Fire reached the ceiling. The Feb. 20, 2003 . In the blazing heat of their passion, She wrote a book, meets with burn victims, talks to fire departments and fire safety groups across the country. Vanner has no excuses. Sparks had ignited flammable foam that soundproofed the walls. ABCNews. body, even if he can't seem to melt her Page 8/187. 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. He turned back to see the crowd bottle-necked at the stage. In the stampede, 21 people were killed. Everything went black': For reporters, tragedy, disaster and sorrow come with the territory. A USA Today article reported, He completed his community service requirement last year [2007] with a local fire and rescue company and with a national agency that works for burn survivors., Michael served more than three years of his four-year sentence. Updated: Feb 20, 2023 / 06:55 PM EST. Survivors from one of the deadliest fires in U.S. history share the stories of their escape from the horrific inferno.Subscribe to WONDER to watch more docum. 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 needed for that day to come, she said. Warner, who worked for American Foam, suggested they use polyurethane foam for sound insulation.. The devastation wrought by the defendant in unparalleled is our states history, White asserted. Petrarca remembers one of the "most beautiful moments" she's had. People here were forgotten two weeks after the fire. Here is kelly's obituary, which names her husband scott as a guy who worked in the station. Source: Wikimedia Commons. 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. 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. On Feb. 20, 2003, hundreds of people were packed into the Station nightclub when the '80s rock group Great White took the small stage.