But 15 years later, she said, its time for her to move out of its shadow. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The blaze began when the band Jack Russell's Great White took the stage and their tour manager set off four large fireworks. Today she is president of the Station Fire Memorial Foundation, the group that oversaw the construction of the memorial park. 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. Michael Derderian: We do understand that anger and that's that's why we're here with you. [21] The flames were initially thought to be part of the act; only as the fire reached the ceiling and smoke began to bank down did people realize it was uncontrolled. A staggering 100 lives were lost. And I turned around, I said, "Get out, get out, get to the door, get to the door!" It seems like yesterday We were going to get married in June and she passed away in February, Cain told CBS. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Jeff Derderian: I remember we were trying to get people away from the building. The Station Nightclub Fire: Who's Responsible? 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. Am I going to sit here and cry about this? Shed read Russos book, about how the fire left her a bald chick, and it convinced her to go back out into the world. [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. Published on August 10, 2017 09:05 AM. Jim Axelrod: Who's responsible for that foam going up on the wall? [90] Russell planned to donate the proceeds to the Station Fire Memorial Foundation, but the organization asked to be disassociated from the concert, citing the animosity still felt by many of the survivors and surviving families. [79], The site of the fire was cleared, and a multitude of crosses were placed as memorials, left by loved ones of the deceased. I went over, put my hands against the glass, and I started kicking at that window and it wouldn't break. 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. Petrarca was sitting near the bar that night in 2003, about five feet from a door, when the fire broke out. [61], In January 2008, the Parole Board decided to grant Michael Derderian an early release; he was scheduled to be released from prison in September 2009, but was granted his release in June 2009 for good behavior.[64]. [12] The rest of the lineup included guitarist Ty Longley, who died in the fire, bass guitarist Dave Felice, and drummer Eric Powers. Phil Barr: It was getting harder and harder to breathe I could feel tightness and constriction in my chest. As the crowd bottlenecked at the clubs entrance, thick black smoke poured out of the building and over their heads. The pyrotechnics were gerbs, cylindrical devices that produce a controlled spray of sparks. And I took a good look and I said, "Oh, st, I'm burned.". I went back around the front again, and that's when you saw people stacked on top of each other, trying to get out of the front door. We haven't played it since then and probably never will. He trusted in his friends. [61] Michael Derderian received fifteen years in prison, with four to serve and eleven years suspended, plus three years' probationthe same sentence as Biechele. [9], Thousands of mourners attended an interfaith memorial service at St. Gregory the Great Church in Warwick on February 24, 2003, to remember those lost in the fire. Their story starts three years before the fire. [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. Phil Barr: You know just have a beer, see a concert. 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. I am proud. The club was not equipped with sprinklers, according to the NIST, and crowding at the buildings main entrance made it difficult for people to escape. Barr, who was in his junior year, had dreams of a career on Wall Street and swam competitively for his college swim team. Dont take life for granted and I miss her every day She was my world and now shes my angel.. Nancy Kramer is the executive story editor. Susan Nicol. Since he co-owned The Station nightclub with his brother Michael Derderian, Jeff suggested it as a venue for generic nightclub footage. Jim Axelrod: Over the course of the investigation, what did you learn about the way the brothers ran their business? Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. We have an exit through the kitchen. They didn't even let him talk about it. 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. These days, she uses her job as a teacher at John F. Deering Middle School to make it so those who didnt suffer so directly will remember it too. Linda Saran: Most of the crowd thought it was part of the show and didn't move. That happened in 2002. Barr says when he came to, he felt excruciating pain near the base of his spine and burning on his face. It all started around 11 p.m. when the rock band Jack Russell's Great White took the stage and the group's tour manager, Daniel Biechele, set off four large fireworks called gerbs. But Jeff Derderian, who was helping out at the bar, says he and an employee tried to get to the stage with a fire extinguisher. Warner lived next to The Station and had met the brothers. Jody King: He was gregarious. I just don't find him as guilty of anything. 2021, shooting at a San Jose rail station. That day let her put a period on the last sentence of Chapter Two, she said. In a statement, Rhode Island Gov. [tears up, shaking his head]. [13], In February 2003, Great White was on an eighteen date concert tour, and they had been using a pyrotechnic display during their performances that some club owners had denied them permission to use, citing safety concerns. [7][8] They were best known for their 1989 cover of Ian Hunter's "Once Bitten, Twice Shy", which reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. He arrived early around 8:30 p.m. Phil Barr: There really weren't that many people around early in the night. I couldn't hear screaming anymore. This is solid gasoline. I've been after this bike for over 4 years and I finally got the call! Do you understand that anger? [9] American Foam refuted the claims in Warner's fax. You were not approaching that area at all. 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.". Access remains open to the public, and memorial services are held each February 20. It is the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. into the main barroom. She spoke with the Globe about Jefferey and Michael Derderian, the . Jeff Derderian: None of the inspections and then follow-up inspections. [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. Jim Axelrod: How do you know he went in nine times? He had an unlikely friend rooting for him. [49] The tour started five months after the fire, and each concert began with a prayer for survivors and families. 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.. On February 20, 2003, in West Warwick, Rhode Island, the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in United States history occurred in The Station nightclub. The four exits inside The Station: "There's an exit near the stage an exit through the kitchen. [22] During the performance, pyrotechnics set off by tour manager Daniel Biechele ignited the flammable acoustic foam on both sides and the top center of the drummer's alcove at the back of the stage. It was like what? The fire left her with burns over 40 percent of her body, it incinerated her hair. Patrick Lynch: Jeffrey and Michael Derderian. Linda Saran: Second- and-third-degree burns, over 34 percent of my body from the heat. [29] The initial death toll was 96 people; Four more individuals died in the hospital in the weeks following, bringing the toll to 100. Also outside was club owner Jeff Derderian. 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. Biechele was released from prison on March 19, 2008. [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. Eighteen years later, there was no consensus among survivors when it comes to blame. For years, he worked in Boston for Channel 7. Jim Axelrod: Did you have enough time to form those complete thoughts? Why had the fire spread so quickly? Scott James: It was a typical kind of roadside dive. The second was the time from that night until the dedication of the memorial last spring. It made me realize, I might be only one person, but my story and my injuries were making people listen, she said. So many ways this could have been avoided, Matthew Hoffman, an East Greenwich, R.I. resident, told WPRI. MICHAEL DERDERIAN: I plead not guilty, your honor. "[55] Biechele was released in March 2008. Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch opened an investigation and convened a grand jury to determine if anyone should face criminal charges. The club was sold. Linda Saran: I think a lot of people miss out on the moments. We're running out of time." [31], Four employees of the Station were killed in the fire. I cant do it for the rest of my life, she said. Everyone carries baggage and I think at some point you figure out how to pack it and carry it with you, she said. "[91], Two years to the day after the fire, band members Russell and Kendall, along with Great White's attorney, Ed McPherson, appeared on CNN's Larry King Live with three survivors of the fire and the father of Longley, to discuss how their lives had changed since the incident. [56], The sentence drew mixed reactions in the courtroom. ", "We are now at 65, and that may be higher ", Jeff Derderian: "Can you come in? I ran across the room and I ran face-first into the wall. That was the most important thing, they didnt freak.. [5] Local bands that had played at the Station prior to the fire had used pyrotechnics during their concerts without incident, including a Kiss tribute band that had set off fireballs during their show in August 2002. I will never forget that night, and I will never forget the people that were hurt by it. [94] Kendall's version of the band holds the copyright for the Great White name. Phil Barr awoke after three weeks in a medically induced coma and was told his lungs had been badly damaged. One guy did crawl out. People recall the events of the fourth deadliest night club fire in U.S. history. Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of misdemeanor manslaughter and was sentenced to four years in prison. He was the. I noticed when the pyro stopped, the flame had kept going on both sides. [60], Following Biechele's trial, The Station's owners, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, were scheduled to receive separate trials. [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. 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.. Jody King: We never knew the whole story because the trial never happened, so everything really never came out. PATRICK LYNCH [news interview]: Certainly, there are people we are looking at, ultimately, we may target. Phil Barr: I went around the people trying to push to the front door. A true hero would have gone for it, Vanner said. Michael Derderian: We say that they we're sorry for all of it. Patrick Lynch: while troubling, concerning, maddening it doesn't mean that somebody should be charged or can be. He was worried about his brother Tracy who worked there as a bouncer. I refused to accept that as the outcome. The first time I went to counseling, I made the therapist cry, Del Sesto said. And that's when it starts to hit you all that you've lost. Flames can be seen on the back wall. Jeff Derderian: There's so many things that factor into the decision to do that. His fiance, Tina Ayer, died at 33 in the fire, CBS Boston reported. In the months and years that followed, Jody also learned about Tracy's heroic last moments. He wasnt charged with a crime, but his thoughts punish him. Tracy King died saving many others the night of the fire. WEST WARWICK, R.I. The owners of The Station nightclub say their decision to finally speak publicly about the deadly fire there nearly . Todd King, a founder of The Station Family Fund, said today the fund . But does that mean it's not a crime? [2] The club was cited for nine minor code violations during the first inspection in November 2002, but was not cited for the flammable polyurethane foam the venue used for soundproofing, which was against code. And why wasn't the foam company charged? The fire started shortly after Great White began performing their opening number, "Desert Moon". I could have missed my daughter's high school graduation, the birth of her children. In February 2008, Providence television station. [95][49], Neither version of Great White performed in any of the six New England states for over a decade following the fire. [92], Russell left Great White in 2010. I needed for that day to come, she said. [100], Gonsalves was inducted into the Rhode Island Radio and Television Hall of Fame in 2013. Michael Derderian: Zero. The roof was caving in, walls were caving in, body after body in front of me. 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. 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. [59], Biechele's parole and probation expired in March 2011. But she refuses to live in the past. 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. [2] The final tally by The Providence Journal of people inside the Station during the fire totaled 462. These TIAs were subsequently incorporated into the 2006 edition of NFPA 101, along with additional exit requirements for new nightclub occupancies. [95], Russell performed a benefit show in February 2013 in Hermosa Beach, California in commemoration of the tenth anniversary of the fire. They all later accepted plea deals. And that's when the crowd realizes this is a real danger and we have to get out of here. And people just stood there. But it's fun. [89] "I don't think I could ever sing that song again," said Russell. [52] Speaking to the public for the first time since the fire, Biechele stated: For three years, I've wanted to be able to speak to the people that were affected by this tragedy, but I know that there's nothing that I can say or do that will undo what happened that night. [77], A benefit memorial concert was held in February 2008 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence and featured performances by Tesla, Twisted Sister, Winger, Gretchen Wilson, and John Rich. So, it was very quickly they were in the circle of people we should look at. Jim Axelrod: When you come to, you're in a hospital room. [37] The report had been inspired by the E2 nightclub stampede in Chicago that killed 21 people three days earlier. I never imagined that anyone ever would be. Jim Axelrod: There are so many people still to this day angry that the case didn't go to trial. 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. And then the main exit that hallway where everyone came through. [95] When Russell launched his version of the band in 2012, Kendall's group responded that Russell had no right to use the name. The story of three survivors that were trapped when the massive Cypress Street viaduct collapsed.