The Station nightclub fire

The Station nightclub fire on February 20, 2003 was the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history, killing 100 people and injuring more than 200. Ninety-six perished on the night of the fire, and four died later from their injuries at local hospitals. The Station was a nightclub in West Warwick, Kent County, Rhode Island. It followed a Chicago nightclub stampede that killed 21 partygoers.

The fire

The fire started when pyrotechnics set off by Great White, the rock band playing that night, lit flammable soundproofing foam behind the stage. The flames were first thought to be part of the act; only as the fire reached the ceiling and smoke began to billow did people realize it was uncontrolled. The ensuing stampede in the inferno led to the numerous deaths among the patrons, who numbered somewhat more than 404, the highest of three conflicting official capacity limits.

Related Topics:
Pyrotechnics - Great White - Rock band - Soundproof - Stampede

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The pyrotechnics were gerbs, cylindrical devices intended to produce a controlled spray of sparks. Gerbs are considered appropriate for indoor use before a nearby audience when proper precautions are observed. Due to age and size, the Station was not required to have a sprinkler system and it was not equipped with one.

Related Topics:
Gerbs - Sprinkler system

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The beginnings of the fire were caught on videotape by cameraman Brian Butler for WPRI-TV of Providence, for a planned piece on nightclub safety being reported by Jeff Derderian, a WPRI news reporter who is also a part-owner of The Station. The report had been inspired by the Chicago nightclub stampede that had claimed 21 lives only four days earlier.

Related Topics:
Videotape - Brian Butler - WPRI - Providence - Jeff Derderian - Reporter

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Thousands of mourners attended a memorial service on February 24 to remember those lost in the fire. Following the tragedy, Governor Donald Carcieri declared a moratorium on pyrotechnic displays at venues that hold fewer than 300 people.

Related Topics:
February 24 - Governor - Donald Carcieri - Moratorium

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It was the deadliest fire in the United States since the 1977 Southgate, Kentucky Beverly Hills Supper Club fire that claimed 165 lives. The worst nightclub fire was November 28, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts at the Cocoanut Grove, where 492 died after paper decorations caught fire.

Related Topics:
1977 - Southgate, Kentucky - Beverly Hills Supper Club fire - November 28 - 1942 - Boston, Massachusetts - Cocoanut Grove

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