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Both Petrarca and Studley, who lost friends in the blaze, were inside the club when fire broke out. He is now seven years sober from cocaine, although alcohol is a more "pestering problem," he says. 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. I couldn't hear noise. The morning after the fire, the lead singer of Great White, Jack Russell, claimed the brothers had given the band permission to set off the fireworks. This is the main bar where you can get your drinks. And then we've got the pressure from the judge saying you know, you're going to go to jail for 30 years apiece. The Derderians assured Warner of their hope that he would not be disturbed. We couldn't make it. The 4,484 square foot, mostly wood interior, club was set at a 420 person capacity. which was managed by Biechele used pyrotechnics. That was his gift. Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch opened an investigation and convened a grand jury to determine if anyone should face criminal charges. Judge Darigan sentenced Biechele to four years imprisonment plus three years probation. "We never knew the whole story because the trial never happened, so everything really never came out," says Jody King, whose brother worked at The Station as a bouncer. 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. I said to myself, we gotta go. The one-story building burned to the ground in about three minutes. Nine months after the fire, the club's owners, brothers Jeff and Michael Derderian, along with Daniel Biechele, the band's tour manager, were each charged with 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter. One of them is never say die, never give up. Jeff Derderian: Because in my mind I had nothing to hide. For more information, please see our Fire apparatus and other emergency vehicles were still on the scene along with construction equipment to begin to remove the debris.. A body is wheeled on a stretcher from the scene of a deadly fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I. Friday, Feb. 21, 2003. Jim Axelrod: There are so many people still to this day angry that the case didn't go to trial. This is solid gasoline. Dan Biechele committed a misdemeanor that night without any way of knowing the stage had been set for what the Attorney General is calling the perfect storm. Jeffs community service was appropriate. Firefighters continue to work at the smoldering scene of a deadly fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I. Friday, Feb. 21, 2003. He don't know. While jailed, Biechele penned 100 handwritten apologies to victims families. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. I dont know that Ill ever forgive myself for what happened that night so I cant expect anyone else to. Last year, he was charged with striking a woman for whom he was a caretaker. 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. But the night of the fire it was up to help cut down the noise. once you could no longer see, it was total pandemonium. First published on October 23, 2021 / 11:18 PM. "Taking responsibility for your actions goes a long way," she says. And he's like he don't know. Patrick Lynch: The type of foam was equal to gallons of gasoline. On Feb. 20, 2003 100 people were killed and more than 200 injured after a fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. He wasn't charged with a crime, but his thoughts punish him. fire began late Thursday and destroyed the structure, and which officials say has taken the life of at least 85 people may be related to band's pyrotechnics. my dad was in the room. Like you feel that kinship that, you know, "God, I really hope this guy makes it." Thinking it part of the show, people shouted, Its great!. It was completely preventable. At the scene, Jody King was desperate for information about his brother, and began to fear the worst. 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. Jim Axelrod: When the foam came, was there anything on the packaging that indicated that it was highly flammable? Collect, curate and comment on your files. Scott James: They are what they call 15x15. The second was the time from that night until the dedication of the memorial last spring. He was worried about his brother Tracy who worked there as a bouncer. That happened in 2002. They behaved without flexibility despite the emergency. He refused to talk with reporters and entered an automobile driven by a lawyer. Look for a box or option labeled Home Page (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) or On Startup (Chrome). Biechele was released from prison on March 19, 2008 after serving less than half his four-year sentence. Isn't that an important fact in determining who's at fault? Doomed fans stuck in the doorway of The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, RI. The brothers who owned the club and Great Whites tour manager were charged in the fire. Barylick writes that although a sprinkler system would have cost only $39,000 the Derderians had not installed one and without sprinklers, patrons who did not escape The Station within ninety seconds of ignition stood little chance of survival.. At the time of the fire, he had just started a new job closer to home in Providence at the local CBS station. Alamy and its logo are trademarks of Alamy Ltd. and are registered in certain countries. It was like what? Linda will forever wear the scars of that horrible night. If they stood up and said, small business owners, we were inexperienced. daddyodowd 12 yr. ago I refused to accept that as the outcome. Prosecutor Randall White urged a sentence of ten years, Biechele frequently paused to choke back tears, 10 Things You Learn From Being Raised By A StrongMother, Heres The Most Notorious Murder From EveryState, Here Is The Scariest Urban Legend From EveryState, 10 Of The Most Horrifying Concert Tragedies InHistory. The brother's plea deal stated only one of them would go to prison. The part at the end where the guy runs out on fire is harsh to watch. Photo by Gary I Rothstein/UPI By now even the slowest people to react are in a frenzied state of panic. Biechele flipped a switch that caused lead singer Blackie Lawlesss crotch to erupt with showering sparks. The Station nightclub fire would become one of the deadliest fires in a club in U.S. history. FireRescue1 is revolutionizing the way the fire service community The fire spread quickly . Michael Derderian: And I'm saying to him "Did everybody get out Did anyone die?" Michael Derderian: He's completely out of it. That was the most important thing, they didn't freak.". Keeler: Chris Paul got dirty. The Station was owned by brothers Jeff and Michael Derderian. It's the most comprehensive and trusted online destination for fire service professionals worldwide. The plea agreement meant Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. could sentence Biechele to a maximum of ten years imprisonment or as little as probation with community service. The Avalanche championship dynasty crumbles less than a year after hoisting the Stanley Cup. Witnesses said a flare or firework lit by band members may have started the blaze. Phil Barr: I couldn't hear alarms. The brothers sent a fax to the foam company specifically asking for sound foam. Jody King: "Anybody see Tracy?" For more information, please see our White reminded the judge that Biechele had not gotten the legally required permit to light pyrotechnics. 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. And I took a good look and I said, "Oh, st, I'm burned.". It would become one of the deadliest fires in a club in U.S. history. Why had the fire spread so quickly? It didn't have a lock on it. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, If you need further help setting your homepage, check your browsers Help menu, Chief shares details about Calif. firefighters' strip club scandal, I cant breathe: Patient dies after 5 Calif. FF-medics violate policy, Fla. FF files complaint over photo of chief with 'Hitler-style mustache' giving Nazi salute on duty, Video: 6 DCFEMS members placed on leave after physical fight on scene, Open the tools menu in your browser. 100 people perished. Jim Axelrod: Over the course of the investigation, what did you learn about the way the brothers ran their business? "I had the fire extinguisher in my hand," Vanner said. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) asserted a. Fire survivor Jesse Botelho, 30, of Pawtucket, R.I. speaks to reporters near the remains of The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., Friday, Feb. 21, 2003 The. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). (crying) So I can't expect anybody else to. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Kiszla: One-hit wonders? Phil Barr: I remember the smoke descended really quickly. red heat in the underground. Jody King: He went on David Letterman twice to do Stupid Human Tricks. Flames soon appeared on the walls on either side of the stage and spread quickly along the foam that lined the walls and ceiling, intended to dampen sound. 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. For the first few years she shunned memorial ceremonies but eventually was convinced to go. In February 2006 three years after the station nightclub burned down many in Rhode Island were shocked to learn that instead of a trial, a plea deal had been reached with Daniel Biechele, the tour manager for the band Great White. We have an exit through the kitchen. He don't know. A Rhode Island nightclub burst into flames during a pyrotechnics display at a rock concert, killing at least 26 people and injuring more than 150 as mobs of concertgoers frantically rushed to escape the raging fire. Two unidentified women watch recovery efforts at the scene of a deadly nightclub fire, Friday, Feb. 21, 2003, in West Warwick, R.I. Officals say the fast moving fire caused at least 60 deaths. "As we're 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?'" YouTube / National Fire Protection Association. Robin Petrarca was in New York City three weeks ago, looking for some laughs in a comedy club. 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.

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