The Station Nightclub Fire As It Happened Pt 1 of 2
This is the Station Nightclub Fire as it happened, captured by WPRI-TV. Part one is the interior of the nightclub prior to the fire. Great White is getting ready to play. Brian Butler, TV cameraman, was in the process of making video footage for a special on nightclub safety in response to a fatal Chicago nightclub fire a month before. Little did he know that he was taking another piece of tragic American history
Duration : 0:6:19
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Then there’s the …
Then there’s the club employees who added to the toll of dead and injured. They blocked patrons from leaving the bar immediately through the side and stage doors as the fire was spreading. Two witnesses, Cormier and Gibbs, said they not only stopped people trying to escape but herded them to the front door, an area already chaotic and dangerously overcrowded. Gina Russo, burned badly in the fire, said a bouncer told her to look elsewhere for an exit because the stage door was only for the band.
The city’s cuplable …
The city’s cuplable too. Sprinklers would have prevented the disaster but the city never made them install a system because the club was built before 1976. The ownners and the city allowed the bar to be overcrowded by 150 people which made the ensuing panic deadlier and escape attempts more difficult.
You’re joking right …
You’re joking right? The fire was accidental but should have never happened. It was the result of criminal negligence. The two owners and the tour manager who set of the pyro did time for the fire. The owners installed highly flammable soundpoofing. The Fire Marshall repeatedly missed the highy flammable sound proofing. The pyro was way too intense for such a small club.
let me see what …
let me see what your saying : that the innocet people who went to the club t enjoy music and were burned painfully alive and trampled on deserved because of criminal negligence??? they were listening to music and there was an accidental fire!
Gee I don’t know. …
Gee I don’t know. Maybe because they suffered horrible physical and psychological injuries as a result of criminal negligence on the part of people who knew better?
why did they …
why did they deserve it?
Yuck! It looks so …
Yuck! It looks so packed in there it’s making my skin crawl just watching this bit, i would have fled long before the fire broke out. Those poor people jammed in because of greedy people. RIP all of you who didn’t make it out, and respect to the people that did.
x
What’s sad is that …
What’s sad is that many of these dear folks in this video, perished. I wonder if their families have seen the last seconds of these lives.
As far as blame …
As far as blame goes I should have added that the city of West Warwick was culpable, imo.
According to the Fire Chief, a sprinkler system would have prevented the disaster. But city regs didn’t require the bar to install a sprinkler system because it had been built before 1976 (shakes head).
You’re welcome. And …
You’re welcome. And yes these families (and surviving victims ) deserved it. Lost in this tragedy is the fact that many of the injured suffered terrible burns that left them permanently disfigured and handicapped even with state of the art surgeries and rehab.
Only in America ( …
Only in America (but these families deserved it). Thanks for all the info.
The Providence …
The Providence television station WPRI made an out of court settlement of US $30 million because their cameraman was allegedly too busy filming to help the victims escape and for obstructing the exit as he filmed.
Home Depot and insulation company Polar Industries has also made a settlement offer of $5 million.
Great White, has offered a mil in a settlement to survivors and victim’s relatives.
The two nightclub owners have offered $813,000.
There were a number …
There were a number of settlements in civil suits. The company that made the speakers, JBL, settled for $815,000 for allegedly using flammable foam in their speakers.
The company that made the soundproofing foam, Sealed Air Corporation, settled for $25 million. Anheuser-Busch and their distributor have offered $21 million. Clear Channel Broadcasting has offered $22 million.
The two nightclub …
The two nightclub owners also plead guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter. They too plea bargained their way out of serious jail time. Michael Derderian, got 15 years with four to serve in prison followed by three years of probation. His brother, Jeffrey Derderian, got a 10-year suspended sentence, three years probation, and 500 hours community service.
If you mean to …
If you mean to blame under the law, there were a number of guilty parties, depending on what you make of plea bargains and civil suit settlements.
The band manager arranged a plea bargain with prosecutors and plead guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to 15 years with 11 years suspended followed by three years of probation for setting the fire.
Whose was to blame- …
Whose was to blame- band or club?
This is kind of …
This is kind of like the movie of Titanic at Southampton where you see all those happy passengers waving goodbye from the stern as they head out toward America. Little, too, did they know…
Yes you could
Yes you could
RIP
look up the …
RIP
look up the preview for the documentary “41″ on here….powerful documentary about the youngest victim, Mr. Nick O’Neill.
alcohol and fire …
alcohol and fire are never a good combination
352 over 3/4 the …
352 over 3/4 the capacity of the place. 230 of them were injured though
how many survived …
how many survived that night? just wondering
Wow, it is really …
Wow, it is really freaky to sit and watch all those people having a good time and happy unknowing of the tragedy that awaits them. One minute you are sipping a beer without a care in the world, the next minute you are dead. It looked really crowded in there. I remember them saying there were only 2 exits to get out of the place. I’m sure once the electricity failed and it turned dark in there it would be impossible to find your way out with everyone pushing. What an absolute nightmare.
If did something to …
If did something to cost lives like this, I would kill myself. I couldn’t live with this, no way. RIP, very sad vid. And like VTMCompany said, a trubute to watch nonetheless….
i’m thinking you’re …
i’m thinking you’re probably watching the last living minutes of MANY people. so sad…but a tribute nonetheless.