The Station Nightclub Fire: Who's Responsible? | Full Episode
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- Опубліковано 19 лют 2024
- Club owners open up for the first time after deadly fire kills 100. "48 Hours" contributor Jim Axelrod reports. Watch more full episodes of "48 Hours" on Pluto TV.
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Love the show
ok first off, today is exactly the Anniversary its 21 yrs this was very tragic even looking at it today who is responsible? the "un-experienced bar-owners", Great White their "pyrotecnic" why in thee hell would you even consider putting them in a bar A BAR? and look what happened if they had any common sense they would of had went over proper protocal, had the fire dept on standby and maybe, just Maybe all of this wouldn't of happened it could of been prevented...
Scott James' book "Trial By Fire" is a Derderian apologist version of events. He is an old acquaintance of Jeff's. The 'big reveal' is that a square on the new memorial park's timeline wall claimed that only 353 people were in the building when the fire broke out. Therefore it must be true, case closed.
What he glaringly left out is that the square was corrected to 462 and replaced less than a year after the park opened (Maybe much sooner than that- I no longer live in RI so I've had to rely on internet videos). More than TWO FULL YEARS before his book was released in 2020.
Another mistake at the park was the same exact date of birth on six different victims' cenotaphs. I wonder why Scott James did not find that a scandalous Aha! moment to write a book about?
The author consulted with Memorial Foundation president/survivor Gina Russo for a few years. Why did he simply not ask her to explain the 353 number? He never disputed that 232+ survivors were injured. So adding the 100 who died, that would leave 21 people or fewer who escaped uninjured. Yet well over 100 got out uninjured. Oops!
@@myoldvhstapes i kno but putting pyro in a nightclub is just stupid its not an ARENA they thought it was apparently still the 80's guys it wasn't an arena 100+ ppl died and got injured f..k dudes its horrible and the anniversary was yestrday..
@@jasonhuntley4203I wasn't replying to your comment, jasonhuntley. I left a comment under the pinned comment by "48 Hours."
Whoever had the bright idea to ignite pyrotechnics at an indoor venue should be the one held responsible
It doesn't take a genius to know NOT to do that!!! 😳😳😳
What are you talking about? Shows do that all the time.
The owners allowed bands to do it all the time. Dan personally shot Pyro there before without incident.
Yeah, that was absolutely stupid.
@@jeremysmith9694shows light 15 ft pyrotechnics inside a 12 ft venue "all the time"? I highly doubt it.
I’m not gonna lie I feel like the fire marshal should’ve probably been charged as well.
The band as well.
There were a lot of people partially responsible. The civil litigation names over 50 people/companies responsible.
100% he should have been charged. This was one of those tragedies that you can never forget. I'm really glad 48 Hours opted not to show any footage. It still sits in my brain and I can't unsee it. Rest in Peace to all who were lost in senseless tragedy.
Damn skippy! The Fire Marshal failed big time!
I feel like he likely could have prevented the whole thing from happening.
The foam company too.
Pyrotechnic fireworks that shoot 15 ft in the air in an INDOOR venue with 12 ft ceilings.. what could go wrong?? 🙄 so sad and senseless
Not a snowball's chance those were 12 foot ceilings lol. I'd guess MAYBE 9. Being generous.
Obviously the flash cones were way too powerful and it was negligence. Every Pyro display at rock shows I've been aware of like the band KISS technicians personally extinguish every possible ember on or around the stage instantly after each ignition. I could see several quickly moving onto the stage area crouching low whilst the music was in progress and making sure all flammable embers were sprayed . I thought that was very comforting safety wise although I suffered minor burning to my face along with hearing loss and worst of all confetti in every possible crevice on my person. But I wouldn't have it any other way.
I bet they got away with it in other venues that didn't have the foam
Similar pyro had been used at other shows at this venue. Video footage exists of a KISS cover band using pyro at The Station some time before this happened. Lots of guilty parties in this thing.
Former FF here. Despite this tradgedy know that this has had profound impact across the US. Small venues like this went under the microscope and many many are far safer today. You wont hear about the Tennessee bar that the deluge system saved basically everyone or the Utah concert house that the standpipe dry system that was mandated to be installed stopped a fire backstage. We put 80K worth of system into our own local venue and this tragedy was specifically cited why it was required. Know that this loss is saving many many more. That bouncer is still saving lives.
Amen❤
Glad to hear it, but given all the experience already had with previous high-casualty fires over decades, there was no excuse for what happened in RI. We already knew about inaccessible fire exits, poor building design, and flammable materials. The front exit design problem isn't that different than the Collinwood elementary school's when their fire took the lives of 172 children and three adults in 1908. There were a lot of people who failed these concert goers. Also makes me think of the teens killed in the doorway crush of a Who concert 40+ years ago. Cincinnati is one of the few places that still won't allow open "festival" seating. We've seen even worse crowd crush tragedy since then because safety takes a back seat to profit.
I'm also a FF, and ppl still don't learn or take responsibility.
That's good to hear. But I can't help but think that by 2003 all these lessons should have already been learnt though. I mean its not as if horrific fires and crushes hadn't happened in the US and elsewhere up to that point.
This Attorney General is so quick to blame the brothers but protects those who should have been charged as well.
Because he's only interested in money, not lives lost or justice. Typical attorney behavior and mindset.
What do you expect from a lawyer and politician? They're always calculated. You see the part where he was asked why a fax wasn't presented to the grand dury...and all of a sudden he doesn't remember whether it was or wasn't presented🙄
Just watched another true crime story where a DA refused to press charges...years later another one did and the murderer was convicted and sentenced to life in imprison. The DA then said he didn't regret his decision.
Definitely shady!!!
how it goes, govt. always protects govt. smh its sickening
@@obimalope8154 Lawyers, judges and politicians, always looking out for themselves aren't they?
In my opinion, their decisions should have consequences for them.
Refuse to press charges and the criminal murders someone else?
You're going to jail too now buddy.
How can that fire Marshall sit there and claim he never saw the foam, thats gotta be the most ridiculous thing ive heard
AGREED
But they were told to take the foam off the door anyway, so I wonder if they were told to take all the foam down or not.
@ScreamingMothVibes they were told to take the door blocking the exit down, not the foam.
@@ScreamingMothVibes the dude claimed he never saw the foam, so how could he order then to take something down he supposedly didn't see
@@ScreamingMothVibes no they were told to take the door down, only because it swings the wrong way
Why is so hard for people, on both sides to accept the fact that MULTIPLE PEOPLE ON MULTIPLE DIFFERENT LEVELS ALL FAILED IN THEIR OWN PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY TO THE SAFETY OF THE CLUB. It isn't one thing one person did one day that caused this travesty. Many people chose to forgo their duties and many people paid the ultimate price. Very sad..very tragic
Setting off fireworks is to blame. Get over it.
@@leonleon2276yeah thanks captain obvious 🙄
Because of this fire, I check for exit signs wherever I go.
Same. This and countless other fire videos I've watched.
and you got to worry about shootings now
I remember being taught the difference between running from danger and running towards safety.
Same here. I Think about this every time I’m in a crowded place..
@@braddavid902 Well most of us dont live in the US so were fine
I don't know how on earth they come up with the idea of pyrotechnics inside a small space, crowded, low ceiling building. You didn't have to be genius to realize it could start a fire
15 FOOT PYROTECHNICS 12 FOOT CEILINGS!!!!
The owners allowed bands to shoot pyro there before, and Dan personally shot Pyro there without incident
right? that black foam they used for sound omg that is what made it catch on,whoever put that foma up,is responsible for one and whoever said yes to lighting up piro with over crowded bar room,so sad
@@codyviera92 exactly, 💯 the prosecutor was gunning for the brothers and it seemed very emotional and very personal, he disregarded evidence out of spite and bias. I'm sure he was also traumatized as it seems the entire town was and is.
However, an investigator must be able to set feelings aside to get to the truth. I appreciate his passion but it's misdirected. Passion should be for truth and fair justice, not revenge..
They should've had an outside investigation team take over. There could even be many more things to this that we don't know and some we will never know due to the obvious, but awful things happen that are tragic but not intentional and creating another set of victims out of vengeance isn't justice. It's just revenge on innocent people.
@@speaklifegardenhomesteadpe8783the brothers may not be criminally liable, but they're not innocent
Wow, that guy was a hero. He died saving multiple lives. I would not have the courage to keep going in and pulling people out. God bless that man.
_Never say die and never give up._
That guy's name was Tracy F. King.
I thought King was too big to fit through the tiny hole in the bottom where it was glass (not Plexi. Which didn't break)?
Nine people came back to thank him for his brothers bravery, what a legacy 😢
That brought tears to my eyes. Gave his life and gifted 9 families with their loved ones.
The former AG set off every alarm bell in my head....something was way wrong with him. Zero trust.
Lot of dirtball A.G.s
Swear down 😂😂
Absolutely. Sketch af
It's rhode island so it makes sense
Hell, the AG in my home state (South Dakota) hit a man while speeding on a highway, and claimed he thought it was a deer. He was fined 500 dollars. The man was walking on the shoulder of the highway.
The lady who was covered in burns and scars on her arms is my moms friend. That night, I wasn’t born yet, but my sister was like 2. Once my sister fell asleep that night, that lady texts my mom and asks her if she wanted to go with her. My mom said no because she couldn’t get someone to babysit my sister. I am so glad that she didn’t go and that she is alive. I hope that the people who died in that fire Rest In Peace
Wow! 🙏🏻
Isn't it the Fire Marshalls job to shut down fire traps ? Not the club owners they don't know anything about fire dangers ??? Why want he held responsible ??? I bet him and the DA are friends smh
Exactly
Absolutely. They circled the wagons.
Just read a news article that stated Jody and the brothers have always been close friends going back to high school, and that he doesn’t cast blame on them for what happened that night
That alone made me change my opinion on them. It’s very obvious they were used as scapegoats bc it was convenient. RIP to all
expectation is that you just pay the guy for the inspection and do whatever he tells you to do. If the government misses anything, or everything, they are not responsible. Owners should sue to at least get their inspection fee back 😄
Twelve foot high ceilings were high enough. However the foam, which is a class B . The real cause was pyrotechnics being used in a class A and B material.
One of the worst times in our lives. We live less than 30 minutes away from the Station Nightclub and sadly lost 2 cousins in the fire. Lots of lives changed in an instant.
Sorry to read this, very tragic
🙏😔💔
I'm sorry for your loss.
I'm so sorry for your loss.
Oh I’m so sorry for your loss …We lost so many friends that night as well … one my Sisters friends & co worker was found in the bathroom trapped . One of our groomsman in our wedding came from Massachusetts because he was given tickets out of the blue I believe it is Keith in the doorway at the bottom of a pile . He left a little one and a heavily pregnant wife who delivered a week later . It was heartbreaking the people we all lost .
Every time my husband goes to a public place the first thing he does is take note of where the fire exits are. Such a sad story.
Why 😆
If you had any common sense, you wouldn't be asking "why"! 🙄@@User_92020
@@User_92020 so he can make a quick exit if needed - why else?🙃
No doubt. Myself after this tragedy as well. Back at that time I was 34 & my wife and used to go see a lot of obscure bands in and around the Chicago area. I remember being packed in there like human cattle. Thinking back before this occurred, myself & probably most people didn’t have a clue where the nearest exit was. To be fair most of these bands did not have pyrotechnics but fire hazards can occur in other areas of a music hall or seedy dive club.
I’m the same, whenever I go anywhere with my 4 girls I always tell them the best ways to get out and buddy them up as one is disabled so may not be able to get out as easily so I always make sure the two teenagers know they buddy up with the toddler and just get the heck out while I try and get my disabled child out. It’s sad but it’s just where my mum head goes and is a running joke so whenever we go somewhere they now just wait for me to say it then giggle to themselves but they do listen so I guess that’s good xx
Tracy is a true hero. He knew all the exits and could've left to save himself, but that isn't the cloth from which he was cut! He saved others.
That's me
But the owner got out the front door almost as soon as the fire started. He made no attempt to get ANYONE out except himself🤬
This tragedy is why I always look for where the exits are anytime I go to a concert. No matter the size of the venue.
ANYWHERE YOU GO! Check for exits.
@@chrissyparkins1615 Even in your own house and at the place you work, know where the mearest exits are, because they're the ones you stay most of the time.
Yup. I look for every exit at restaurants and will sit on the correct side of tables to watch for impending danger. Hope I never need to use this knowledge...
Years ago, we went to shows in this tiny rat-trap comedy club in NYC. Looking back, very lucky nothing happened. It had one exit and that one was a bottleneck.
Not just concert venues...but every place you go ! 💯 can't be too careful
The Attorney General is an utter weasel.
💯💯💯💯💯 He is terrible and deep down inside he knows he was wrong
He doesn't remember....
As a Rhode Isander I can attest to this. Lynch is a weasel.
So true. A politician
My impression as well. He clumsily evades several questions, giving the impression of someone extraordinarily dishonest and rather dimwitted. It would have been easy for the interviewer to put him on the spot. It's annoying to watch them simply accept his non-answers.
"People are on fire inside." Horrifying - unimaginable.
I live in southern Massachusetts and I CLEARLY remember when this tragedy happened. In my 20s I went to many small “dive” clubs like this one. Since the fire I have never gone to another one.
I've been freaked out at a few very overcrowded places after this and left immediately.
So lemme get this straight, the band manager sets off pyrotechnics on a 12ft ceiling, and the club owners get charged??
My exact same thought, but I'm only 17mins in
That's who should of been charged.
@@jwil2414 He was - edit I'm not righting the crimes , just telling from what I saw in this video.
The owners were charged because they blocked a fire exit after ignoring fire code by letting in way too many people, which cost a TON of lives because people all tried to swarm out of the same exit because the other seemed blocked. That means they are legally liable for it in some part. It really was just a mix of no one doing what they were supposed to that ended in a horrific tragedy.
The club owners decided to use foam that was not flame retardant and to allow their club to be mismanaged,thus that night the venue had more patrons than they were legally allowed to have capacity wise.
This former AG makes me hate lawyers.
Exactly. Dude wants everyone else to have accountability but not the fire Marshall. He also remember everything but if the fax was talked about. Classic do as I say not as I do person.
He made me sick to my stomach . So self righteous and smug .
I'm glad you felt the same about the AG, once he started giving non answers and mentioned not remembering the fax I knew he didn't care about the truth, just collect enough info to pin the blame on anyone save for city officials.
Saying he doesn't want to hear what the club owners say cause they're only coming out *now* ?!? Like, what the hell is that?! & oh, no "you're telling me the fax wasn't mentioned, I don't remember" bs 😤 WTF
SMUG is the perfect word to describe him.
I feel bad the brothers had to deal with him the past decade & a half, no wonder they didn't speak sooner.
& I'm sorry, but you would take the expertise of the Fire Marshall to determine what was a fire risk & what wasn't. Then on top of that, the foam company also has culpability. If someone orders a certain type of foam & they send out another, knowing good damn & well bar owners aren't going to b able to tell the difference, they're the only ones to blame for that specific foam being in that building. That fax spoke many truths, I'm sure of it. Sadly, the AG wasn't interested in truths.
Thank you for saying what I was thinking. He’s not about justice, but making a name for himself. Fire Marshall should have been charged.
And the DA says it’s disgusting that they are talking?
It would be far easier for them to go into hiding.
He said why is it an oops for one and not the other…. Spot on
The band manager decided to light pyrotechnics that shoot 15 feet for 15 seconds in a room with 12 foot ceilings? Wow.
Two things can be correct at the same time. The pyro should not have been used is correct. It is also correct that the foam is why the stage ignited. By focusing on the pyro (because its the most obvious thing to notice, there are three jets of cold spark flying out of it) we overlook the fact the club was a severe danger from the day that foam was installed. Other bands used pyro there too... something was going to ignite that foam. Just a matter of time.
@@JDela10 and NO fire supression system whatsoever.. its insane!
@@mats7492 it certainly was. A death trap. Those poor people!!
@@JDela10 whats more insane that it still isnt legally required for smaller venues.. 150 people is still a lot of people and you are not legally required to have sprinklers.
Where im from, EVERY venue needs to have them, no matter the size
I’m not so sure sprinklers would have worked w that fire,
I’m more shocked the owners didn’t put crash doors where this atrium windows were
Think about it, nobody would have died if those windows were crash door
I love how the prosecutor knows very specific information from 20 years ago but doesn't remember a lengthy fax sent by an employee of the foam company as it relates to what was shown to a grand jury. Then cops out "well they didn't have to take a plea" but that information was likely not shared to the defense.
EXACTLY! He sounded like many criminals that "don't recall" things to save their skin.
Yea, he kind of lost all credibility when he said that.
That's the exact moment I start thinking the prosecutor is sketchy. I also find it sketchy that part of the deal was "one brother goes to jail you guys can choose between yourselves"??? I mean that is so ethically dubious
You know how you know it wasn't fire resistant?
The cost. There's NO WAY that much material cost 600 bucks!
Plus. You had a sandwich of foam, plus GLUE. when replicated, it went up twice as fast. Smooth yellow foam from a dumpster, then the egg crate on top. Two different types. It's all in Barrylick's book.
@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823 Indeed. Due to the severe restrictions on asbestos containing materials and certain other flame retardants like polychlorinated biphenyls, flame-retardant foam like Auralex would add a zero at least to the price. I'm sure that it seemed far more cost-effective to buy better foam in retrospect.
This AG literally said just because it wasn’t on purpose doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get charged about the brothers but then gives the fire marshal a pass for the exact same thing?
Sadly RI is disgustingly political
That guy is corrupt.
Exactly.
He doesn't remember if Warner was asked about the fax. Yeah suuurrre Mr AG. What an effing railroad job
@@Littlebit1031 100%
Props to the cameraman. He punched out a window that several crawled out of. He saved lives and his footage helped determine blame and was used to create new regulation so that this won’t happen again.
Except this same scenario has happened again…..
@@ritirons2726 Not in the USA.
Nope. He was help partially responsible for continuing to film, whilst walking out backwards. He didn't advise anyone to leave having spotted the problem and started to make his exit.
This will happen again. It already has in at least 3 other fires in clubs around the world and at Grenfell Tower in London to name just 4 incidents.
@@IAMPLEDGE
-He was one of the first to begin getting people to move towards the doors. You can hear him on the video saying, “get out! Get out!”
-He did not cause the crush at the door.
-He punched out a window that several were able to crawl out of, saving their lives.
-No building fire has come close to this level in the USA since then.
@@TheNightWatcher1385 have you read the book Killer Show? It details the damning evidence of Butler's own video/audio that led to Butler and his employer's insurers settling for $30million.
Far from helping he continued to film, keeping the camera steady and in focus. He claimed not to have used the view finder on his way out and to not have seen or reviewed the footage upon getting out, but 7 and a half minutes from the fire starting he phoned his employer boasting of "multiple multiple deaths" and "I saw what happened. I have it all on tape from inside."
How did he know that when he claimed he walked out forwards and never looked at the viewfinder or reviewed the tape until he was outside?
He was also named by one of the survivors as having blocked her exit for around 10 seconds whilst he was filming.
He did not help when he was still inside, he was far too busy filming.
26:32 Guy smoking a cigarrete next to a box that saids "Danger" Explosive". Classic.
Scott Vieira. The notorious 'paid with a few beers' unofficial bouncer who stopped people from using the stage exit because it was for the "band only."
You know what, homegirl may have those scars from those burns but she's still beautiful on the inside as well as the outside. I'm glad she doesn't hide it!! She seems like she has a big personality to go with her beauty. I'm sorry to all of those who lost someone and all those who's still going thru tye struggle. God Bless you all.😊
Agreed. It's quite possible she exposes her scars to remind herself of what could have happened. She could have perished in that fire. God bless her. 🦋
Agreed 🦋🌹
Wow! Thinking same thing.
First lady in black is a beautiful person!
I hope her friend is doing well. No mention how she is now.
Yeah, she is indeed very beautiful inside & outside, & I hope she realizes that. ❤ (Her arm scars don't even look that bad, actually.)
"it got quiet...all you could hear was the roar of the fire, and liquor bottles exploding." Ugh. That's soo terrifying ....
Plus the pitch black darkness.
Linda is one amazing, strong, impressive woman.
The bouncer who blocked the exit by the stage should have been charged with 100 murders. Odd in that nothing about him is mentioned. If he's alive today does he have any remorse?
he's a Sat"nist,lol,he is HAPPY!
i think that was the kiss nightclub fire in brazil. i may be wrong but they said that a bouncer blocked them inside because he needed to “verify people paid their tabs” 🙄🙄🙄 like he couldn’t hear people screaming
Scott Vieira. His wife died in the fire too.
In That Deadliest Concert doc. People called him out on it.
@@BrianLG100 he is still alive,so nobody " called" him out on it.
I just don't understand how do you think you could have pyrotechnics with a ceiling that was so low it looked like the musicians have to duck. I'm not a scientist but reasonable human beings would assume that that would start a fire
You'd think, huh? 😢
Exactly.
You can have a fire for any reason, the problem is nobody could get out.
@@DJJahTYeah thats very true. But some things, like the kind of pyrotechnics that they were using in that building, will obviously greatly increase the odds of a fire starting. It was pretty irresponsible to use those kinds of pyrotechnics for that show.
They 1000% caused this. Foam or no foam there was going to be a fire. 22 months. He knew better. Sorry to all the loved ones & the injured. 🙏
I don't know if his story will be in this episode ot not, but the one guy who was in the building until they put the fire out was an amazing story. He had people piled up on him when they all fell while surging forward and crushed him. He found a space between the wall and the bodies above him that allowed him to breathe and an hour later, he grabbed a fireman's ankle as they walked through the building and scared the hell out of the fireman! The bodies had insulated him from the fire and he knew everyone above him was dead. He had to sit there and listen to those above him scream as they burned to death. If I remember correctly, all he got was burns on one ankle.
Burns on one ankle, and horrific psychological traumas that will haunt him for the rest of his life. I can't even begin to imagine the terror he must have gone through, laying there pinned down underneath people scream in pain and die - probably wondering if he'd survive this fire himself...
I remember hearing this story on one of the documentaries.
I think his name was Mike! When I heard that story I was blown away.
Wow 😮
an earlier vid showed that pile. Men rushed forward pulling people off the top only to be replaced by more people trying to escape, so the people underneath never stood a chance.
My son and I survived a house fire in 2021. It was terrifying. We lost everything we owned but we are still here and that’s what matters. It is such a traumatic experience, though. We both were treated for smoke inhalation and were very lucky that the fire occurred in the afternoon just after I’d picked him up from school…versus it happening in the middle of the night.
My heart goes out to the victims of this tragedy and their loved ones.
Me and my partner went through a house fire. Almost lost my partner to that fire because a housemate assumed he went out with us, as me and few went out to the store. Fortunately someone in the neighborhood cracked the window open and helped him get out the burning building through the window. A couple of our things survived but it left me with nightmares for days, i required sleeping aids for the next few nights because all i could see was my man being in that burning building. He made it out unscathed and was checked the minute the medics asked
That is so scary. Glad everyone here is here to tell the story now ❤
my father is a retired rhode island police officer. he was stationed at the local hospital helping injured people who were airlifted. he has a special badge for his service that day.
God bless your dad 🙏🏼
The man who lost his brother his testimony made me tear up. RIP to that man. ❤
I remember his brother. He was a sweet bear of a man and I have no doubt that he went back in repeatedly to save people!
I think before every show, there should be a talk to the audience about where the exits are.
👍
Yes like before any flight. 🛫✈️
Excellent idea.
Bonus points if the band helps deliver the message.
Why? People will tune out Joe Blow talking about
so called boring things.
They will pay attention if the band says the same thing.
That would help, but there were a lot of things wrong here.
And mostly NOT by the owners. Although they are responsible for a few things too.
@@StofStuiveryes but they're saying if we started it as a social norm it would be something everyone did out of habit before starting
what a beautiful Man that Tracy was to help so many. amazing. Life is so fragile and not guaranteed. I am glad he lived it well.
I was 16 when my then boyfriends’ sister went to this show with her friend. She did not come home that night. I watched his family suffer, in agony, for weeks after, as they waited for Tammy to be identified by her dental remains. She left behind 2 young children, a loving family, friends and colleagues who are forever changed. A tragic, completely unnecessary event that affected all of our families, the music community and the club scene in this state forever.
❤❤❤
Oh, my. Painful.
Iam so sorry!! This year was bad my husband passed away 2 days before his 30th birthday I remember this club fire and I remember crying..rest in peace to all those lost
The GA's strong disregard for facts is EXTREMELY concerning. The brothers should have been able to rely on the fire marshal. It was his job to make sure everyone would be safe. He failed and over 200 people died/were injured as a direct result of that negligence. Disgusting.
The community should have been able to rely on the fire Marshall
The Fire Marshall can only tell you something about what you're doing if you tell him what you're doing. It seems no one told anyone they were going to use that stuff.
@@orvil9223
The pyrotechnics needed a permit to do.. but it may have never escalated to the point it did if the fire Marshall would have done his job and checked everything thoroughly, including the foam that took this fire out of control..
Agreed 1000%
GA?
The Fire Marshall should’ve definitely been indicted. When 100 people die and 200 people are injured in a raging fire and the fire Marshall gave them the green light to operate their business, how is he not liable?! And wth is wrong with the DA?? His focus should be the facts and the truth! The fact that he wants to dismiss anything the brothers say is troubling!!
My thoughts exactly!
You can't sue him.any more than you can sue your city.
@@windsofmarchjourneyperrytr2823Actually you can. Qualified immunity would only apply when properly performing his duties. His failure to close the venue as unsafe could be argues as a failure to perform his duties. That allows him to be sued as a person and it allows the city to be sued for allowing him to hold a position he couldn't do the job for.
@@TruthFictionno. They can only be held responsible if there's proof they acted with malice or bad intent. Other than that - they're protected by law. That's why him saying "I didn't see the foam" was all he had to say to get off being responsible. It's like that in every state not just RI. And IF he was being bought off, paid on the side to look the other way, the brothers wouldn't be able to admit that without incriminating themselves of paying him to look past them cutting corners. So... 🤷🏼♀️ Until we change laws, that's how it's going to be.
@@missmicheleeexo2269His job was to "see the foam" and verify it's safety features. Incompetence or a failure to perform his position to a reasonable standard is one of the qualifiers that removes immunity.
ALL parties should have pleaded guilty INCLUDING the fire marshall.
This case should have gone to trial.
The DA should NOT have accepted a plea deal.
I'm so glad that the victims sued.
The company, fire inspector, band and owners all had culpability.
It was not any 1 person's fault, certainly not just the owners of the night club.
I was telling my 17 yr old son about this fire just 2 days ago when I pulled up the Great White song Rock Me for him to listen to.
He plays guitar.
He watched this with me this morning and I was able to teach him a lesson about situationioal awareness.
I appreciate yall posting this again.
I'll never forget how terrible and shocking this was in its time. Its so fun to see bands in smaller venues and these people just wanted to be with friends and have a great time.
You all are not forgotten.
I promise you that 🙏🏼💔
That one lawyer guy is so bias against the owners. I don’t believe a word HE says
Yep. He's a complete fraud and probably on the take
I totally agree! Feels like a vendetta almost because he is so strong about it.
He’s was pissing me of Fr
The owners are murderers.
I too am biased against the owners, in the sense that they directly caused the tragedy
Who the hell in their right mind would set off 15ft pyrotechnics in a club with 12ft ceilings???!!!
I remember watching this during my EMT course training in 2010. One of the fire chiefs showed a video clip of the incident to the class. I saw piles of human bodies packed/wedged and stuck at the front entrance.
None of the patrons knew there was a back and other exit doors. Only the band and the people who worked there knew. It could have saved a lot of lives had people known about it.
Patrons near the stage did attempt to use the exit by there but a bouncer (by many accounts) stood there and said it was not to be used by club patrons... The fire quickly spread and he left through the exit, but by that point it was too late and very few patrons were able to escape thru that exit. Life or death was decided in a matter of seconds and this idiot probably got some patrons killed.
90 seconds from pyrotechnics to complete hell 🎯
This is what I think about in public gathering places all the time. 90 seconds to get out is all they had
@@rebeccamichelturner me too. I was 24 when it happened, and no joke I stopped going clubbing, and TO THIS DAY I look for the exits in any building I’m in and try my best to stay out of restaurants with no windows
Where I come from, the fire inspector (or fire marshall in the US) is the authority in such cases and must always give their permission before you can use pyro technic inside venues.
If you fail to seek permission you go to jail and you will be liable for damages. Period.
Where are you from, sweetie? I live in the U.S., and have experienced our "Justice System" first hand. That Fire Marshal needs to experience our "System of Justice" for himself. I wonder if he was friends with the A.G.? It wouldn't surprise me in the least.
@@RandomChristianMusings not sure where your from but we here in RI have been dealing with a lot of palm greasing for decades with guys like this. After the fire they went on a rampage closing places down not up to code why was that??? 🤔 maybe looked the other way? Wouldn’t be the first time!!
@@corinaturner5128 I was born & raised in New England. Glastonbury, Ct., to be exact. I agree with your post 100%. Take care, love. 😁
@@corinaturner5128 a rampage 😆
@@RandomChristianMusingsNew Milford CT, here. ✋🏼
🩵
I work in a local venue whose owner seemingly hasn't learned the lessons from this tragedy. Fire extinguishers stored two floors down at the bottom of an external fire exit in total darkness, the fire exit itself frequently blocked with cases/speakers. Last week when I wasn't working, there was a guy who poured lighter fluid on his guitar and set it on fire on the f**king stage. On my next shift I'm going to threaten to quit and report the owner if he doesn't sort his fire procedures out.
I never forget this , as my birthday is 20th February. THE day it happened. R.I.P to all lost.
The book on this case is very detailed and it is clear that a lot of people made mistakes that contributed to this fire,not just a few people, but only a few people were held accountable and that is never okay.
The attorney General wants this to be over with now and seems disgusted over the brothers speaking up about it now, but they need to speak up because there is a fire Marshall who is not doing his job correctly and there is a foam company sending the wrong foam to customers, and that means this kind of tragedy can happen again.
Absolutely, I found the lawyer's response and attitude very questionable. Why does the fire Marshall get to be blameless. Also the company supplying the foam should have been held equally accountable. Absolutely disgusting.
That book is Killer Show by Barylick, not Trial By Fire by James. James is a friend of the derderians.
@@genghiscan2918got that book in Apple Books good read.
The book I read was, "Killer Show: The Station Nightclub Fire, America’s Deadliest Rock Concert" by John Barylick. Boy!...what an eye-opener.
@danielpinchok6949 YES! I meant to include this!
The author did an exceptional job of putting every piece of info that can be found into this book, including the story of the victims, their lives, the families who lost lost loved ones to this tragedy, the survivors and their journey to healing- he made sure they had a voice in all of this and that the reader knows these were real people with amazing lives that were lost that day- not just a unknown victim in a tragedy.
They loved life, they are loved, missed- and their voice speaks the loudest from this book.
I cannot say enough, but he did a brilliant job.
Watching this 21 years later - 20th Feb 2024 😢
What a very sad anniversary 😢.
Bands have lawyers with statutes of limitations… this is a year many expire. Watch for all the band violations, and we have to have strict laws requiring safety first.
It’s so sad. Still so very sad.
As a single dad for two teenage girls, my heart is broken for the horrible deaths of all these young people.
WTF does THAT have to do with the fire????? STOP with the “I’m a PROFESSIONAL VICTIM, now hear my story” CRAP!!!!!
Just imagine that Great White was the last music you heard before you burned to death? That's completely horrifying.
not cool....
😅
Good point! Funny joke but bad timing and poor delivery!
They turned this older tragedy into a moving meaningful human story only the way 48 Hours can.
A coworker of mine at the time had a daughter die in that tragic fire, she worked there and was off that night but was covering for someone. RIP to all those who passed
There's a lot of blame to go around but the fact that the fire marshal didn't face any charges is egregious.
he's in a special club.
I’ll never forget Robyn Mead’s report at 6 AM on the day this happened.
A good friend of mine told me an hour later that his in-laws never came home last night after going out to watch a band called “White Snake”. Then I shared what I saw on the news and said: “Are you sure it wasn’t Great White?”
They were there and suffered through that nightmare till the end. I still pray for all who lost their lives. That is etched in my memory forever.
Why wasn't the fax presented to the jury? The foam company bribed somebody. Our good cop seems to remember everything except that fax!
Facts. Not fax
It happens all the time.
Prosecutors getting their way.
We have a legal system...not a JUSTICE system!
FAX MACHINE DAMAGED IN THE FIRE THATS WHY😂
@@wendyc1902 True hey!
@@leelunk8235 🤣🤣
@@wendyc1902the actual fax that was sent to the foam company not the facts of the case 😊
Lost friends in that tragic fire. I was at work here in VA that night. Night shift nurse and was on dinner break when I read the horrible news on my WJAR news feed. I lived in Massachusetts for 27 years and had been to The Station numerous times with friends. I’m still in shock about it all these years later.😭😢🥺
One of my cousin's friends passed away in the nightclub. Her mother didn't even know that she went to the concert. Six years later, I happened to meet the mother of the girl.
One of the guitarists of the band died as well. I believe he went back into the building for his guitar. Odd it isn't mentioned at all.
Ty Longley.....I knew him.....nice guy.
There's a great documentary about the fire called "America's Deadliest Rock Concert : The Guest List". After watching it I'm 💯% convinced the Fire Marshall should've been indicted for Manslaughter.
On Netflix??
@@Lady_Angela1I haven’t seen it on Netflix. Perhaps UA-cam? Oh wait-another commenter mentioned the doc was available on UA-cam.
Exactly!! He ultimately caused more death by NOT doing a thorough inspection, and checking that foam..
When I watched it, it was free on Tubi.
@@Lady_Angela1 It's on Reelz & Tudi.
While going through fire academy one of the many things asked of us was to research previous catastrophic fires. This was one of them. I went into this video expecting the owners to confirm my suspicion that they cut corners and were the main reason this happened. When the story ended, I really feel they tried and, unfortunately, trusted others who failed to do their jobs and were reckless. The band really skated here, and that's BS. That attorney seemed to be hiding something in regards to why they didn't call out the company who installed the incorrect sound deadening. He really wanted to just pin this on the owners and be do with it. Seemed off to me. Tragic lessened learned, which ultimately led to landmark corrections in public use fire safety changes.
Came to same conclusion myself ,Feel bad for those brothers both seem to be good hearted people, Bands manager was a complete idiot
I feel a lot of the reasons for the DA choosing to focus on the owners was to protect the state from any culpability for the fire inspectors miss… disgusting that he skated!
@@Littlebit1031 Very true indeed saved the state from massive lawsuits , Every time I watch a show about this event ,I cringe at the thought of terror those people felt, Survivors having that mental burden for rest of they lives
@@jblaze1336 if it wasn’t for picking up OT the following morning I’d have been there. I know people who made it out physically unscathed, some who had horrific injuries, and some who died in that inferno. I can’t imagine the terror they all experienced!
Most of the blame should be towards the yearly fire inspector
Not only did the fire marshal ignore the major fire hazards inside the club, he also rubber stamped the Derderian brother's repeated requests to increase the occupancy level far beyond what the entry/exit points could handle and what the city code allowed. Larocque was on someone's payroll. Corrupt to the hilt.
Failed to get license and permits for pyrotechnics: ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE
*QUESTION* when was this establishment LAST INSPECTED and APPROVED to continue business? Wasn't the foam on the walls there during inspection? Shouldn't they have noticed it was the WRONG FOAM? The inspectors, i mean _AHA, I've reached the part of the video where the fire marshall should've tested it_ MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY FROM THE BEGINNING!!!!! IF THE BROTHERS CAN'T DEPEND ON THE EXPERTS ... They run a club. There are inspectors to keep these establishments safe FOR THE PUBLIC. Fire Marshall DERELICT in his duties. CIVIL SUIT??!!!!
33:35 FIRE MARSHALL, FOAM COMPANY, GREAT WHITE..... and Station Night club
33:51 Won't blame Fire Marshall but "WHATEVER THE BROTHERS SAY... I DON'T REALLY TRUST IT". That's YOUR issue. 34:10 Maybe someone should hold YOU responsible for your bias, LYNCH!!!!
My thoughts exactly
Because it was a older building, it was "grandfathered" into being exempt from current fire codes. They just had to abide by the rated capacity (which they were over that night) and by a cursory inspection by the city fire Marshall, which was a "good buddy" and barely glanced at the club. After the fire, the grandfather clause was recinded and all buildings had to meet code. Perfect example of too little, too late
My question is didn't they they sent them packing foam not sound proof foam? Did they put that foam up?
@@justindecker9282 I believe they put up that foam thinking it was the right one. Just awful😞
The same happened here in Argentina one year later. Small club, idiots with fireworks, no accesible emergency exists. 200 people dead. Everyone involved from the band members to goverment officials and the owners ended up in jail.
Don’t mess with Argentina, eh?! Whew, nice to know accountability is valued somewhere on this planet!
@@tundrawomansays694 In all fairness therr were a lot more corrupt officials here than in this case. And also a lot of backlash from the public and the media in order to convict them all. I think the owner got 15 plus years and the band members 5 years. It was the Cromagnon case in 2004.
I was at a Creed show at Cyclone Arena Ames, Iowa in 2002 and they used pyro, we sat in the nose bleeds and you could feel the intense heat from where we sat. pyro in a night club is mind boggling to me.
Concert venues and high rise hotels,i always look where the fire exits are
Absolutely heartbreaking
I definitely agree the foam company should be absolutely held liable and the pyro guy who didn’t use his brain that 15’high pyrotechnics was stupid in a 10’ high inside bar…! Definitely two failures there…Tracy- what an amazing hero ❤️❤️
Great White got off too easy.
As club owners , you have responsibility for what goes on in the club, to ensure that everything that comes in the club is not of any danger to your customers + your employees ⚠️ ⛔️ ‼️ Very sad story. Sending strength + love to all the victims families + survivors.
Wow . They only had about 60 seconds to leave🥺
Please let it be a lesson to you too.
If you go to a concert, etc, note where the exits are, and if the place seems like a death trap, don't stick around.
And one of the doormen stopped people exiting near the stage !
68 seconds to be exact
I saw the full video of the fire on youtube, hearing those screams, seeing the people burning at the entrance all pilled up! It was absolutely horrifying 😔😔
So did I and I was so terrified that I called my daughter to make sure she knew where the fire exits were whenever she went to a club and try to stay close to one just in case of a fire. She also watched that video as well.
Why would you watch such horrible stuff? Just reading that is horrible.
@@prettybullet7728 I did the same thing with my friends. I've made it a habit to check exist and choose to sit at spot near an exit if I go anywhere. I've even done safety drills in my own house. I also keep a bag with all my important documents I can't afford to lose where it's easily accessible should i need to a make a quick exist in case of an emergency. You can never be too safe!
@@phillipsmom6252 I wouldn't recommend watching it but it was a good wakeup call to fire safety when I did, perhaps it will for you too. Just search on youtube and you'll find it.
It's called The Butler Video (named after its videographer). It's low def DV, but you can't unsee and unhear what's in that video
Years before this event, I had to prove that anything I used in my "store" for decor had to be fire safe and I had to keep the proof on the premises for inspection. Even cloth or paper used for covering or draping had to be treated with flame retardant with proof and subjected to testing by the fire marshal. Any product used for treating had to be bought from a fire safety licensed business and the certification and even the containers had to be saved on site. They were strict also on lighting and outlet use. Much respect to my local small town professionals.
Wow I haven't thought about Great White since high school. I never thought they'd be back to playing in bars. This is horrible. Whoever was in charge of those pyrotechnics was crazy to use them inside.
Why would an EMERGENCY EXIT DOOR open inward? Why wouldn’t then pay a couple of hundred dollars to get it fixed?
They had two doors: one they hid for the fire Marshall, and then installed it for noise control and to keep people from sneaking in
WTF 😰🥺😦
@@genghiscan2918In a lot of bad nightclub fires, it usually is the case that management makes it harder to enter and exit a club precisely to cut down on people sneaking in... But in doing that they also make things much more dangerous.
The same thing happened in my country, in the Colectiv club in Romania, at a rock concert in 2015. They lit fireworks in the building, the whole ceiling caught fire, people couldn't get out because only one door was open and there was a stampede at the exit (the club didn't follow any safety rules, from exits, materials used, number of people allowed inside, so many errors), 64 people died and 175 others were injured (some crushed near the exit, others burned alive, many because of the infections they got from the dirty hospitals in our country, only one member of the band escaped). They passed the blame from one to another (from the authorities, the company that installed the fireworks, the owners of the club, the firefighters who should have closed the club because it did not follow fire safety rules), the process lasted 6 years and the sentences were very short.
That is exactly what I wanted to comment on, the similarities are eerie, everything from the rock concert, to the foam on the wall, to the hero that saved many people before loosing his own life in the fire. This was heartbreaking to watch.
Kiss in Brazil February 2013
@@genghiscan2918 Wow, sooo many victims. I can't believe there are so many fires caused by fireworks in clubs and yet it's still allowed to use them inside.
@@alinam5092I believe one in Russia new years 2009 too?
Argentina cromañón
That AG makes my blood boil. He clearly was out to blame just the brothers and not actually find out what happened. While its clear the brothers do have some responsibility here they were definitely failed by the regular inspections. Also its total bs that the Marshall didn't see the foam, there is no way that's possible.
I've watched the unedited video so many times. I still can't believe how fast the fire grew from the time the pyro went off to the time the building was fully engulfed. I'll never forget it, so sad for all.
From time of ignition to the last survivor exiting, was only 90 seconds! (Except for that one guy who survived being buried at the bottom of the pile of bodies.)
When he said "why are you sitting here talking to me" I lost it 😭😭😭
Timestamp please
Waking up to a 48 hours episode notification is always a nice way to start my day. Thank you
same!!!!
❤❤❤
I watched this happen live on CNN. I was transfixed by the unfolding situation for several hours, and ended up writing a song about the experience as I was experiencing it. I’ll never forget it.
I’ve hung out with the band many times and all they care about is the music, I mean this in the best way possible. They are nice guys and just like playing good shows for people, big venues or small. They are true musicians that love to write fun, good, blues rock. This event changed the band forever and they never really recovered. They all seemed to be aged 10 years by it. Jack had a constant sadness about him even though he is a fun loving guy. And because Jack was so wounded by it, so was the rest of the band. They did their best to keep going and keep doing what they love. They didn’t want this to happen.
The burns that Linda received were not from direct fire, but from the fat content of her body. Anyone held in a room filled with hot smoke and fire nearby will have burns like hers.....from under the skin.
Reason: under the skin layers, are the fascia and fat cells. As the fat heats within the cells, the fat itself, "melts" from being heated, the liquefied fat leaks out of the encapsulation. Which makes the victim feel as though he/she is burning inside....under the skin....that hot liquefied fat than covers/coats the muscle that is beneath the fat, fascia, and skin.
Once the muscles are heated, then that hot, liquefied fat hits the tendons, ligaments, cartilage....then on towards the nerves, lymphatic system, blood vessels, then bone.
She's actually blessed to not have had more serious damage.
What she had was an extremely painful liposuction, in a terrifying situation.
That's why you can see where the fat cells were within her arms and body, when she shows them.
And any concert attendees that wore polyester, nylon, or spandex suffered greatly, as those man-made materials MELT into your body tissues.
I have worked in a Burn ICU, for about a week, before I demanded to be sent back to work in my Neuro-trauma ICU......as those burn patients SUFFER horribly, and the smell of burnt human flesh is not something any person can stomach. It's horrible. I'd dose up my burn patients with heavy duty IV narcotics before I would scrub the crisp, burnt tissue off their bodies, in the whirlpool burn bath.
That scrub is necessary to prep them for skin grafting.
That smell was in my sinuses for almost a month before it finally dissipated.
It takes a very special person to work in Burn ICU. I'll stick with Neuro-trauma, flight trauma, ER, OR, CCU, Open Heart.....but never again in a Burn ICU.....I cry with the patients and hate causing pain to anyone.❤
That had to be horrible, especially when you realize all they had to do was take a step back, then walk right out. Panic is a horrible human emotion.
There was an employee that prevented people from leaving out the back door.
You can see him with a cigarette dangling out of his mouth.
No matter where people were in the club, they had 90 seconds to escape physically unharmed. After 120 seconds they'd escape with second degree burns. Few people made it out after 4 minutes.
@@rdred8693about 20 people escaped out the exit door, but that door was also on the side where the fire started, and that fire was fueled by plastic gasoline.
Yes, a bouncer turned people away, but some people did get out, but that exit could've saved only few lives
But it happened in seconds
@@ilovebrandnewcarpets less than it takes to make popcorn in microwave
I remember this like it was yesterday. I was only 15 years old. My younger sisters, best friend at the time, her mom ended up passing away at the station that night. We cried learning that. Horrible time for a lot of people.
Came sooo close to going to this show, creeps me out every time I hear about it.
indeed he can be the proudest of proud on his brother, it gave me goosebumps and the love he feels for his brother i felt deeply .. hope this episode can give some final closure for the victims
Super tragic! Tracy is a superhero! I feel for his brother! I wish we knew the name of the officer who broke the window and saved lives as well. I bounced and worked security in clubs for a few yrs.. I can't even. Bless the heros in this story and the lives lost. Unfortunately, it takes events like this in order for codes to be updated and enforced to ensure safety.
Watching that hearse leave the scene with the bodies piled up in the back was insane to watch … I got chills 😞
I caught that too, never saw a hearse packed full like that, ghastly…
At 11:07 pm eastern time it will be exactly 21 years to the minute great white went on stage and this tragedy occurred…I’ll never forget hearing about this back in 03’ the next day at work…Rip to all that perished.
I’m glad her scars don’t bother her. I actually watched this and never noticed. You will always be beautiful! ❤️❤️
The former attorney general, fire marshall and foam company did some alleyway type of deal to get away without being charged.
The former AG seems to remember specific details about the brothers but suddenly forgets anything about the foam company.
Selective amnesia?
Yup! Somebody needs to check his bank records from back then bcuz he’s acting like he was bribed!
And every time the interviewer brings up specific and key details that would in any way alleviate the brothers' guilt, the attorney general gets all dismissive and refuses to hear it. By the end of the show I was absolutely infuriated with that a$$hole.
@@kitheritExactly i was so annoyed at the end of the show
What a horrible way to go….. my condolences to the families. R.I.P. to all those who were lost 🕊️
P.S. This one made me cry 😢
Amen 🙏
Horror for sure
They should sue that lazy Fire Marshall.