March 2003 stories
03/31/2003
Fire fund raises $1.8M for short-term relief
PROVIDENCE / Updated 3:30 p.m. -- The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund received $1,812,000 through Friday, the last day that the United Way of Rhode Island was accepting donations for the fund.
Family fights alongside critically burned patient
PROVIDENCE -- John F. Van Deusen III has not had a chance to talk with his family since he was injured in The Station fire. But they've been talking to him -- almost every day.
A partial list of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
Help, memorial services, benefits
Donations to The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund
, administered by the United Way of Rhode Island, will be forwarded to the Rhode Island Foundation to be administered as an endowment to help provide for the longer-term unmet needs of The Station ...
03/30/2003
Life comes after death
The new widow left her expectations, the future she had envisioned, beneath a pine tree. Her husband had loved shade in the summer.
List of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
Help, memorial services, benefits
Donations to The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, administered by the United Way of Rhode Island, will be forwarded to the Rhode Island Foundation to be administered as an endowment to help provide for the longer-term unmet needs of The Station...
03/29/2003
Toxic smoke suspected in deaths of Station fire victims
PROVIDENCE -- Death certificates issued for some of the victims of The Station fire are leading lawyers to focus on whether the toxic fumes rendered the nightclub's patrons incapable of escaping the fast-moving blaze.
Judge permits hauling items from fire site
PROVIDENCE -- Private lawyers and their fire experts will be allowed to collect material from The Station nightclub fire site and store it in a warehouse where it can be further examined and preserved for testing.
State makes second try for disaster declaration
PROVIDENCE -- With the financial cost of The Station fire projected to be $8.7 million over the first year, Governor Carcieri is again asking President Bush to declare the fire a "major disaster," which would bring aid from the Federal Emergency...
U.S. reviewing response to fire
CRANSTON -- The U.S. Department of Justice will analyze how Rhode Island responded to the West Warwick nightclub fire, looking at what went right, what went wrong and what lessons the country can extract from the tragedy.
Great White to play in Calif.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The rock band Great White plans to perform together for the first time since the band's Feb. 20 concert in Rhode Island resulted in a nightclub fire that killed 99 people.
List of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
Help, memorial services, benefits
Beginning today, donations to The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, administered by the United Way of Rhode Island, will be forwarded to the Rhode Island Foundation to be administered as an endowment to help provide for the longer-term unmet...
03/28/2003
Carcieri appealing denial fire disaster aid
PROVIDENCE / 3:38 p.m. -- Governor Carcieri is appealing the Federal Emergency Management Agency's decision to deny the state's request for a major disaster declaration following one of the nation's worst nightclub fires.
Judge lets lawyers collect evidence from fire site
PROVIDENCE / 12:10 p.m. -- Attorneys for potential plaintiffs and defendants in possible lawsuits related to The Station nightclub fire will be allowed to collect materials from the site and store them in a warehouse for further inspection.
Great White to perform in charity concert
LOS ANGELES / 3:45 p.m. -- The rock band Great White plans to perform together for the first time since the band's Feb. 20 concert in Rhode Island that resulted in a nightclub fire that killed 99 people.
State fire code 'convoluted'
PROVIDENCE -- The state fire marshal's chief of inspections tried in 30 minutes yesterday to explain a fire code that has evolved over 30 years into a quagmire of regulations, spread over five books.
Fire chiefs back more funds for marshal's office
PROVIDENCE -- In the wake of the West Warwick nightclub catastrophe, fire chiefs from around the state yesterday called for bolstering the state fire marshal's office, which has seen its staff slashed in half over the past decade.
List of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
03/27/2003
Lawyers, private investigators view site to prepare for suits
WEST WARWICK -- Lawyers and investigators yesterday combed the ruins of The Station nightclub for evidence to be used in lawsuits brought by victims of the Feb. 20 fire that has claimed 99 lives.
Board lists measures to improve fire code
PROVIDENCE -- The "grandfather" clause exempting older buildings from modern fire regulations would be eliminated, and fire marshals would be authorized to write tickets for fire-code violations under a package of recommendations from the Fire...
Sprinkler specialists will testify tonight
Two experts on fire sprinklers are among the first witnesses scheduled to testify before a state panel conducting a review of the state's fire-safety codes.
Concerts benefit fire victims
Rhode Island's music community is reaching out to help the victims and families of The Station fire. Benefit shows are continuing to be held, and LIVE is carrying a schedule of each weekend's events. Here are this weekend's:
List of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
Help, memorial services, benefits
The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, administered by the United Way of Rhode Island and dedicated to meeting the short-term unmet needs of fire victims and their families, is accepting donations through today up to a maximum of $2 million. Funds...
03/26/2003
Lawyers comb fire site for evidence to back suits
WEST WARWICK / Updated 6:13 p.m. -- More than three dozen lawyers and their investigators took photographs and video footage as they toured the rubble of The Station nightclub fire today in search of evidence for potential civil suits.
Workers comp' coverage hard to track
CRANSTON -- The apparent failure of The Station nightclub's owners to purchase the mandatory workers' compensation coverage went unnoticed by the state agency whose job it is to enforce compliance until after the deadly fire.
Noted Conn. forensics expert joins state's fire investigation
Dr. Henry C. Lee, the international forensics expert who testified for the defense team in the O.J. Simpson trial, is lending his expertise to The Station fire investigation.
Investigators, lawyers visit site of fire today
PROVIDENCE -- Private lawyers and their fire experts are scheduled to converge at the site of The Station nightclub this morning to take photographs and measurements in preparation for civil lawsuits stemming from the blaze that killed 99 people.
There's no time frame for probe of Station fire
PROVIDENCE -- With the investigation into The Station nightclub disaster expected to continue into the summer, it could be several months before the attorney general's office decides whether to bring criminal charges in the fire that killed 99...
List of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
Help, memorial services, benefits
The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, administered by the United Way of Rhode Island and dedicated to meeting the short-term unmet needs of fire victims and their families, is accepting donations until Friday up to a maximum of $2 million. Funds...
03/25/2003
Rules set for lawyers' visit to fire site tomorrow
PROVIDENCE / 2:25 p.m. -- Private lawyers and their fire experts are scheduled to converge at the site of The Station nightclub fire tomorrow morning to take photographs and measurements in preparation for civil lawsuits stemming from the blaze that killed 99 people.
Records list items seized at fire site
Investigators hunting for remnants of pyrotechnic devices searched the rubble of The Station more than two weeks after fire destroyed the West Warwick nightclub and killed 99 people.
A partial list of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
Help, memorial services, benefits
The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund
, administered by the United Way of Rhode Island and dedicated to meeting the short-term unmet needs of fire victims and their families, is accepting donations until Friday up to a maximum of $2 million. Funds...
03/24/2003
Site search fails to turn up pyrotechnic devices
WARWICK / 5:15 p.m. -- West Warwick police searched the site of The Station nightclub fire earlier this month, in hopes of finding pyrotechnic devices. Instead, they found items such as clothing, watchbands, cellular phones and fire extinguishers.
Station memorial blessed
CRANSTON -- More than 200 mourners gathered at St. Ann Cemetery yesterday to observe the blessing of a tall white cross that marks a future memorial to the 99 victims of the The Station fire.
Help, memorial services, benefits
The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund
, administered by the United Way of Rhode Island and dedicated to meeting the short-term unmet needs of fire victims and their families, is accepting donations until Friday up to a maximum of $2 million. Funds...
03/23/2003
Panel 'ready, willing' to make R.I. safest state
WEST WARWICK -- Several members of the commission charged with reviewing the state's fire and safety codes pledged yesterday at the site of The Station nightclub that they would not shy from making recommendations that could prove costly to...
Fire investigators seek office space near courthouse
PROVIDENCE -- Investigators working on The Station fire expect to be interviewing witnesses for "several more months," and are seeking additional office space near the Kent County Court House for staff and private interview rooms.
03/24/2003
A partial list of victims
Corrected 5:50 p.m. / This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
03/23/2003
Correction
A benefit hosted by Catering for a Cause for victims of The Station fire will be held on Sunday, March 30, from 1 to 10 p.m. at the Westerly Armory, Railroad Avenue and Dixon Street, Westerly. The date was incorrect in yesterday's Journal.
Help, memorial services, benefits
The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, administered by the United Way of Rhode Island and dedicated to meeting the short-term unmet needs of fire victims and their families, is accepting donations until Friday up to a maximum of $2 million. Funds...
List of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
03/22/2003
Private fire experts to inspect site
PROVIDENCE -- Private lawyers and their fire experts will be allowed to inspect the scene of The Station nightclub fire next Wednesday and take photographs and measurements.
Council discussion on club not on tape
WEST WARWICK -- What did town officials know about the foam installed in The Station nightclub and when did they know it?
Fire inspectors and police check out city's nightspots
PROVIDENCE -- Every weekend, the city's nightclubs and bars are getting surprise visits from fire inspectors and the police, checking for overcrowding and underage drinking.
List of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
Help, memorial services, benefits
The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, administered by the United Way of Rhode Island and dedicated to meeting the short-term unmet needs of fire victims and their families, is accepting donations until Friday up to a maximum of $2 million. Funds...
03/21/2003
Judge: Lawyers can inspect fire site Wednesday
PROVIDENCE / Updated 3:10 p.m. -- Lawyers and fire experts hired in connection with civil lawsuits that have been -- or will be -- brought in connection with The Station fire will be allowed onto the site Wednesday to inspect the scene and take photographs and measurements.
Panel members to visit fire scene tomorrow
PROVIDENCE / 11:55 a.m. -- A visit to the scene of The Station nightclub fire will give members of a special commission investigating fire regulations "perspective of the tragedy," says the group's co-chairman, state Sen. John A. Celona.
A month later, visitors still reach for the fence that touches back
WEST WARWICK -- As the hour approached last night marking a month since the lives of 99 were lost, rain pelted the smiling faces of some of the dead.
Fire laws panel gets to work
PROVIDENCE -- The commission to study the state's fire laws opened last night with two pledges:
Complex club owner surrenders to police
PROVIDENCE -- Michael Kent, the nightclub owner who was being sought for allegedly threatening a city inspector over code violations in one of his buildings, turned himself in to the police Wednesday evening.
Town to bolster fire inspections, protect Town Hall
WEST WARWICK -- A month after the fatal Station nightclub fire, the town is taking steps to bolster its fire inspection bureau and protect Town Hall against fire.
Businesses examine role in relief effort
PROVIDENCE -- It's hard to put into words, but at a forum on social responsibility in business yesterday a group of business leaders tried.
Defendants' lawyers seek fire-site access to review evidence
PROVIDENCE -- Fearing that they will be sued by victims of The Station fire, a group of "unnamed defendants" has hired a Providence law firm to seek access to the site of the former nightclub to gather information that could be useful in building...
Carcieri emotional in tribute to counselors
WARWICK -- There stood Governor Carcieri, thanking the professionals who counseled fire victim survivors on the therapeutic nature of tears.
Fire victim's dogs up for adoption
SWANSEA -- Lisa Kelly had a full household: one 6-year-old daughter, two cats, two gerbils, a guinea pig and two dogs.
List of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
Help, memorial services, benefits
The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, administered by the United Way of Rhode Island and dedicated to meeting the short-term unmet needs of fire victims and their families, is accepting donations until March 28 up to a maximum of $2 million. Funds ...
03/20/2003
A time for prayers and prevention
3:50 p.m. / One month after The Station nightclub fire, families continue to mourn, 28 victims try to recover in hospitals, and public safety officials are trying to ensure such a tragedy never happens again.
Church marks fire's one-month anniversary
WEST WARWICK / 11:25 a.m. -- In the Roman Catholic faith, it's called the Month's Mind.
Like a trooper
State police Cpl. James Manni awoke shortly after 5 a.m. that Friday and turned on the television. His shift would start in three hours and as a supervisor he wanted a jump on the day's news.
29 fire victims still in hospitals, 10 in ICU
Of the 187 people who were injured in the Station fire a month ago today, 10 remain in critical condition in four hospitals, and an additional 19 are still in a hospital but no longer listed as critical. Only two fire victims died in the hospital,...
Band coping with the aftermath
The musician who sang before the club burned down left his house in Vancouver, Wash., last week, flung a bunch of stuff in the car and got the hell out of there on a one-man road trip; south, rock music blaring, the miles ticking by, San Francisco...
Bristol benefit raises $9,000 for The Station fire victims
BRISTOL -- A benefit dinner this past Saturday at the Fire Department raised more than $9,000 for the families of the 99 victims of The Station nightclub fire.
'I could see it in their faces'
SOUTH KINGSTOWN -- At first, the rescuers said they were okay.
The Station benefit shows calendar
Rhode Island's music community is reaching out to help the victims and families of The Station fire. Benefit shows are continuing to be held, and LIVE is carrying a schedule of each weekend's events. Here are this weekend's:
Help, memorial services, benefits
The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, administered by the United Way of Rhode Island and dedicated to meeting the short-term unmet needs of fire victims and their families, is accepting donations until March 28 up to a maximum of $2 million. Funds ...
03/19/2003
Makeshift memorial at fire site will remain for now
WEST WARWICK -- Plans to dismantle the makeshift memorial at the site of The Station nightclub fire this week have been postponed, acting Town Council President Jeanne-Marie DiMasi announced last night.
Fire's psychological pain will test survivors and victims' families for years
CRANSTON -- Survivors of The Station fire and their families face psychological struggles that will continue for years, Brian W. Flynn, a federal expert on mental health after large-scale disasters, told a gathering of Rhode Island mental-health...
State investigators begin sweep to see if clubs carry workers' comp
PROVIDENCE -- The state agency responsible for enforcing compliance with workers' compensation insurance laws announced yesterday that it has embarked on a statewide review of all entertainment clubs in the wake of The Station's deadly fire on Feb....
List of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
Help, memorial services, benefits
The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, administered by the United Way of Rhode Island and dedicated to meeting the short-term unmet needs of fire victims and their families, is accepting donations until March 28 up to a maximum of $2 million. Funds ...
03/18/2003
Panel's purpose: Improve fire laws
The special legislative commission on fire safety is expected to convene for the first time Thursday, exactly one month after the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history consumed The Station in West Warwick, killing 99 people and injuring...
The commission at a glance
The 17 members of the new special legislative commission to study fire safety:
R.I. lawmakers perplexed by denial of federal aid for fire
PROVIDENCE -- Some claim politics is to blame. Some cite fiscal constraints. Others say it's simply the cold calculus of legal requirements.
Survivors' lawyers want own investigators to view site
Two groups of plaintiffs will ask a judge Friday for permission to have their own investigators inspect the site of The Station nightclub fire.
Tragedy may be first test of new federal law
A new federal law could complicate whether most or all of the civil lawsuits that are brought in connection with The Station nightclub fire will be heard by the state or federal courts.
Inspection closes Pawtucket club
PAWTUCKET -- A private social club was ordered closed Friday after "numerous" violations were found on the premises by fire and building inspectors.
List of hospitilized victims' conditions
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
Help, memorial services, benefits
The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, administered by the United Way of Rhode Island and dedicated to meeting the short-term unmet needs of fire victims and their families, is accepting donations until March 28 up to a maximum of $2 million. Funds ...
03/17/2003
Carcieri still seeks disaster aid
PROVIDENCE / 6:40 p.m. -- Following a meeting with Federal Emergency Management Agency officials today, Governor Carcieri said the state is still pursuing a federal disaster declaration for the West Warwick nightclub fire.
2nd group seeks to inspect fire scene
PROVIDENCE / Updated 5:47 p.m. -- A second request was filed today by a group planning to file lawsuits related to The Station nightclub fire to allow their investigators to inspect the scene.
St. Patrick's parade is a moment in the sun for town in mourning
WEST WARWICK -- In a town filled with broken hearts, hope is a parade flowing loud and bright toward spring.
A tribute
Marking one month since The Station club fire in West Warwick, many of Rhode Island's media will pay special tribute on Thursday to those who perished, and to the rescue and medical workers who responded so magnificently. The Providence Journal will ...
A partial list of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
Help, memorial services, benefits
The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, administered by the United Way of Rhode Island and dedicated to meeting the short-term unmet needs of fire victims and their families, is accepting donations until March 28 up to a maximum of $2 million. Funds ...
03/16/2003
Fire survivors struggle with guilt of the living
Experts call it survivor guilt. Mike Stefani calls it a survivor's nightmare.
Loans available for fire protection
John Marrocco plans to spend between $30,000 and $40,000 to install a sprinkler system at his Providence restaurant, Mediterraneo.
Billy Graham group to offer grief seminar to fire responders
The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association will hold a day-long Grief and Crisis Training seminar for clergy and so-called "first responders" from 9 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday at the Crowne Plaza hotel in Warwick.
Relief fund for victims, families moves to new phase
The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund has achieved its goal of helping meet the immediate short-term needs of victims and families, and will now convert into a second phase, according to community representatives who spoke at a press conference...
Mark Patinkin: Media need refresher course in sensitivity
It was a freezing morning, six days after the fire, and the funerals had begun. I drove to a church in West Warwick to attend one. As I approached the steps, a policeman stationed outside asked if I was a member of the press.
Memorial at fire site to close Wednesday
WEST WARWICK -- The site of the tragic fire at The Station nightclub on Cowesett Avenue will be closed as of Wednesday at 5 p.m., according to an announcement by House Speaker William J. Murphy, D-West Warwick, and Acting Town Council President...
Special section
Marking one month since the Station club fire in West Warwick, many of Rhode Island's media will pay special tribute this Thursday, March 20, to those who perished and the rescue and medical workers who responded so magnificently. The Providence...
List of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
Help, memorial services, benefits
The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, administered by the United Way of Rhode Island and dedicated to meeting the short-term unmet needs of fire victims and their families, is accepting donations until March 28 up to a maximum of $2 million. Funds ...
03/15/2003
Inspections: Rare, informal
PROVIDENCE -- The Renaissance City draws people by its restaurants, its bars and nightspots -- many of which may not have had formal fire inspections since they opened.
Records differ on capacity of The Station
WEST WARWICK -- Town Manager Wolfgang Bauer asserted yesterday that owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian were required to have a firefighter on hand at The Station the night fire raced through the club, killing 99 people.
Judge orders gym closed
PROVIDENCE -- The World Gym International Inc. at 725 Branch Ave. closed under court order this week and cannot reopen until it corrects eight violations of the state fire-safety code.
License board lifts suspension for Mediterraneo
PROVIDENCE -- The license for a weekend nightclub at the Mediterraneo restaurant on Federal Hill was restored yesterday after the owner fixed most -- but not all -- of the fire-code violations that prompted the city to suspend the license on...
Inspections reveal thousands of safety hazards
A statewide inspection blitz through hundreds of places of assembly has so far turned up thousands of possible safety hazards, inspection reports show.
Cranston's Mardi Gras reopens
CRANSTON -- Usually the dance floors of the Mardi Gras nightclub are packed with weekend partygoers. But recently, the Oaklawn Avenue club has been filled with construction crews fixing almost 60 fire- and building-code violations ranging from...
Law firm seeks permission for private investigation
PROVIDENCE -- The law firm of Decof & Decof yesterday petitioned the Superior Court for an order allowing a team of fire-investigation professionals to go to the site of The Station nightclub to conduct a forensic examination in preparation for...
Fire site set to close on Wednesday
WEST WARWICK -- The site of the tragic fire at The Station nightclub on Cowesett Avenue will be closed as of Wednesday at 5 p.m., according to an announcement yesterday by House Speaker William J. Murphy, D-West Warwick, and Acting Town Council...
Governor reluctant to use tax dollars for fire victims
Governor Carcieri said yesterday he would be "very reluctant," particularly at this stage, to begin talking about any taxpayer-funded compensation fund for the victims of The Station nightclub fire.
Help, memorial services, benefits
The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund, administered by the United Way of Rhode Island and dedicated to meeting the short-term unmet needs of fire victims and their families, is accepting donations until March 28 up to a maximum of $2 million. Funds ...
List of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
03/14/2003
Document details capacity limits at club
5 p.m. / A document released today by West Warwick officials details capacity limits for The Station nightclub -- the first time such documentation has been made public since the disastrous fire at the club that killed 99 people.
Resource center for fire victims closing tonight
WEST WARWICK / 12:30 p.m. -- The Family Resource Center set up to assist victims and families affected by The Station nightclub fire will close today, as scheduled.
Pleas are heard, action is taken
BOSTON -- After listening to emotional calls for action from relatives of victims of The Station nightclub fire, a national fire safety board yesterday took emergency action and approved a new national fire code mandating automatic sprinklers for...
3 at The Station paid off the books
A bartender, a bar helper and a waitress selling $2 shots at The Station on the night of the deadly fire say that the Derderians routinely paid them in cash, off-the-books.
Langevin's bill gives tax breaks to businesses adding sprinklers
WASHINGTON -- Rep. James R. Langevin yesterday proposed legislation to provide tax breaks to businesses that install sprinkler systems to put out fires. Langevin also called for limited federal action to spur states and municipalities to impose...
Mass. state panel backs tougher sprinkler rules
BOSTON -- Every nightclub and dance hall in Massachusetts would be required to install a sprinkler system and most indoor pyrotechnics displays would be banned under a proposed law that won the support of the legislature's Public Safety Committee...
West Warwick cracking down on occupancy limits
WEST WARWICK -- Building and fire officials have been recalculating the occupancy limits of the town's large gathering places in the wake of the deadly fire at The Station nightclub.
Officials inspect over 500 facilities in statewide spree
Inspectors have swept through more than 500 of the 1,712 entertainment establishments that Governor Carcieri ordered examined after the Feb. 20 fire at The Station nightclub, which killed 99 people.
Briefs
Family center will close today
The resource center set up for the families of the victims of The Station nightclub fire will shut down today at 4 p.m. Governor Carcieri will hold a news conference at the center at 5:30 p.m. to explain how families...
Correction
Therapy, an Olneyville nightclub owned by Alex Tomasso, was closed by the state fire marshal on Tuesday because of numerous fire hazards. The club is on the second floor of a building at 7 Dike St., above Gallery Insane. An article in Wednesday's...
Middle school dance tonight to aid Station victims fund
COVENTRY -- There'll be the usual: dancing, music, snacks.
Concert to honor teacher killed in fire
BURRILLVILLE -- Holly-Ann Bisson was a whole different kid after attending classes last summer taught by her special-needs teacher, Abbie Hoisington.
Town honors rescue effort in tragic Station fire
SCITUATE -- The Town Council honored local emergency and rescue personnel last night for their efforts during the devastating fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick.
List of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
Help, memorial services, benefits
The United Way of Rhode Island is administering a fund established in conjunction with Governor Carcieri's office, emergency-management officials, and local charities.
03/13/2003
Fire spurs calls for tougher safety precautions
Updated 2:30 p.m. / Lives would have been spared if sprinklers had been installed in The Station nightclub, according to a man injured in the fire and the father of another man who was among the 99 who died from the blaze.
W. Warwick fire inspector complained of workload
WEST WARWICK -- Six weeks before The Station fire, the town's fire inspector complained that his office was "severely understaffed" and that it was "difficult at times" to handle all inspections promptly.
Encourage children to discuss tragedy, forum experts say
WEST WARWICK -- Her 7-year-old son, Matthew, had a stomachache that would not quit. After days of doctor visits and different medications, Michelle Marques, of Seekonk, pleaded with Matthew to tell her what was wrong.
Town ordered to release all of inn's inspection records
WARWICK -- A Superior Court judge ordered the Town of West Warwick to release all records of fire inspections at the West Valley Inn yesterday, saying that he saw no merit to the town's argument that they should be exempt from public disclosure.
Businessman appointed to fire panel
Governor Carcieri has made his second appointment to the legislative committee that will review fire-safety codes, naming Jay Fluck, executive vice president and partner of CB Richard Ellis-N.E. Partners, a commercial real estate services company.
License for Federal Hill nightclub suspended
Corrected 3.13.03 / PROVIDENCE -- The license for a weekend nightclub at the Mediterraneo restaurant on Federal Hill was suspended yesterday by the city Board of Licenses after a fire inspector found fire-safety violations.
Dinner will benefit family of West Warwick fire victim
BRISTOL -- The Bristol Fire Department will hold a benefit dinner Saturday for the family of one of the victims of The Station nightclub fire.
Mark Patinkin: Through the years with Renée and Katie
About a year ago, Katie O'Donnell was over at Renée Bourque's house when they got to talking about the time in the late 1980s that they had these huge crushes on New Kids on the Block. It made them laugh to think they were that obsessed with...
List of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
Help, memorial services, benefits
The United Way of Rhode Island
is administering a fund established in conjunction with Governor Carcieri's office, emergency-management officials, and local charities.
03/12/2003
Congress supports Langevin's fire safety resolution
WASHINGTON, D.C./ 2:45 p.m. - -The U.S. House of Representatives today unanimously supported a resolution to improve fire safety in public buildings. U.S. Rep. James Langevin introduced the legislation in the wake of The Station nightclub tragedy.
Carcieri picks 2nd choice for fire safety study panel
PROVIDENCE / 5:30 p.m. -- Governor Carcieri has made his second appointment to a legislative commission created to study fire safety in the wake of The Station fire, which killed 99 and injured more than 180.
State appeals for U.S. aid
Carcieri, R.I. Senate make case for assistance with fire expenses
Representatives of the Bush administration have assured Governor Carcieri that they are investigating ways to deliver federal relief to Rhode Island for The Station nightclub fire,...
Bill would simplify fire lawsuits
PROVIDENCE -- A bill introduced in the House of Representatives would give the presiding justice of the state Superior Court leeway in crafting rules for handling lawsuits filed on behalf of those killed or injured in the West Warwick nightclub...
Inn's inspection records finally released
WEST WARWICK -- The town yesterday released records of fire inspections at the West Valley Inn, showing that in the most recent inspection, the town's fire marshal found three malfunctioning exit lights, two missing fire extinguishers and six...
An angel will watch over those who died
CRANSTON -- The Eternal Angel will be flanked by weeping cherry trees. Her smooth, marble face will look upon the graves of 20 men and women who died in The Station nightclub fire. Her right hand will extend to them a single delicate rose.
Head of fire group says code violations led to deaths
The president of a national fire protection organization says all the deaths at The Station fire Feb. 20 could have been averted if national fire codes were followed.
Bill to allow fire code variations on hold
PROVIDENCE -- All the unanswered questions surrounding the West Warwick nightclub fire have stalled a legislative effort to allow local building officials to waive state building code requirements when they would pose "practical difficulties" to a ...
03/11/2003
Club closed by fire marshal
Corrected 3.13.03 / PROVIDENCE -- An Olneyville nightclub was shut down yesterday, and the city fire marshal wants to close one on Federal Hill today.
03/12/2003
R.I. Hospital awarded $150,500 for equipment to treat burns
The Champlin Foundations have awarded $150,500 to Rhode Island Hospital to buy special equipment for the care of burn patients injured in the West Warwick fire.
Profiles / obituaries of The Station fire victims
The following is a compilation of profiles of some of those who died in The Station fire last week and obituaries of fire victims submitted to The Providence Journal.
Help, memorial services, benefits
The United Way of Rhode Island
is administering a fund established in conjunction with Governor Carcieri's office, emergency-management officials, and local charities.
List of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
03/11/2003
Federal loans offered in wake of fire
PROVIDENCE / 4:50 p.m. -- The federal government is offering low-interest loans and other help to businesses affected by a West Warwick nightclub fire that killed 99 people, even though the governor's request for general emergency management aid was earlier denied.
Langevin asks Congress to urge fire safety improvements
10:50 a.m. / U.S. Rep. James Langevin is asking his colleagues in Congress to join him in urging state and local officials and business owners to improve fire safety in public buildings so a tragedy such as The Station nightclub fire "never befalls any community again."
Safety to the forefront
A national fire safety committee wants to hear from people affected by the Feb. 20 fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, which killed 99 people and injured some 190.
Fire lawsuit targets several defendants
PROVIDENCE -- A second lawsuit was filed yesterday in connection with the fire at The Station -- this one on behalf of a young girl who lost her 27-year-old mother in the blaze that took 99 lives.
'Threats' against inspector probed
PROVIDENCE -- Mayor David N. Cicilline yesterday asked the Police Department to investigate alleged threats that nightclub owner Michael Kent made last Friday involving city inspector David Rodio.
A partial list of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends the victims.
Disaster training paid off in fire
In the minutes after fire engulfed The Station nightclub on Feb. 20, and wailing ambulances from across the region converged on a corner of West Warwick, none of those first responders were likely thinking terrorism.
Springsteen pays tribute to victims of West Warwick fire
PROVIDENCE -- There is probably no one in popular music who can command a stage with the power and joy of Bruce Springsteen. The Boss proved that once again last night during a show at the sold-out Dunkin' Donuts Center.
West Warwick team gets a special invite
NARRAGANSETT -- The Narragansett High School varsity girls basketball team was supposed to honor its seniors Feb. 21, just before playing the West Warwick girls basketball team.
Central Falls fire chief reports on inspections
CENTRAL FALLS -- The fire chief presented three reports to the City Council last night on fire code inspections the department has conducted on Class C establishments in the city, including a club that remains closed while fire code repairs are...
Mark Patinkin: A fence filled with memories
To get there, you head down Warwick's Route 2, past the shopping plazas where the world bustles on, so near to where workers still sift through the ruins of the fire.
Help, memorial services, benefits
The United Way of Rhode Island
is administering a fund established in conjunction with Governor Carcieri's office, emergency-management officials, and local charities.
03/10/2003
Second lawsuit targets more defendants
PROVIDENCE / Updated 5:55 p.m. -- A second lawsuit was filed today in connection with the fire at The Station -- this one on behalf of a young girl who lost her 27-year-old mother in the blaze which took 99 lives.
Cicilline orders probe into alleged threats against city inspector
PROVIDENCE / 5:40 p.m. -- Mayor David N. Cicilline has directed the city's Police Department to investigate alleged threats by nightclub owner Michael Kent against city inspector David Rodio.
A survivor's story: Saved by a pileup
Pinned under a mound of people, Raul Michael Vargas survived The Station fire with endurance, willpower and luck.
List of victims
This is a partial list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives and friends of the victims.
Corrections
The plastic surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital and The Children's Hospital described in yesterday's Sunday Journal is Dr. Elof Eriksson. His name was incorrect in the story.
03/09/2003
The foam at The Station is a notorious killer
Solid gasoline.
03/08/2003
"Why can't I go?"
On the day that fire almost destroyed him, Jim Pinkham bid his wife and children goodbye and drove from his home in Quincy, Mass., to Boston Edison, the utility where he worked. After changing into his work clothes, he headed south, to Walpole.
03/09/2003
Mark Patinkin: Sympathy, respect lessen with time
At first, I felt for the Derderian brothers.
List of victims
This is a list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives, and friends of the victims.
Help, memorial services, benefits
The United Way of Rhode Island
is administering a fund established in conjunction with Governor Carcieri's office, emergency-management officials, and local charities.
John Kostrzewa: Banking crisis bailout may be model for fire relief fund
The debate is just beginning over whether the state should compensate victims of the tragic fire at The Station.
03/08/2003
Side by side in hospital, survivors become friends
PROVIDENCE -- When William D. Long emerged from the painkillers' fog -- when he could open eyes that had been swollen shut, when he could keep them open long enough to focus -- he realized that he felt close to someone in the room.
Club escapes closure with rushed repairs
PROVIDENCE -- A downtown nightclub came within hours of being forced to close yesterday after city inspectors said they found numerous building-code violations.
Faulty wiring closes Legion post
HOPKINTON -- Building inspectors, working in cooperation with the Fire Department, closed the American Legion Gordon Greene Post 27 at 34 Thelma Drive yesterday, after determining that faulty wiring there posed a possible fire hazard.
Guitar recovered, returned to family
One light had been left on in the music room, in the apartment upstairs in Johnston. Doug Magness, who lives below, turned it off, and deadbolted the door. He was not ready to see reminders of his stepson's dreams. Not yet.
Station owners hire investigators to assist in case
The owners of The Station nightclub have hired a newly formed investigative firm to assist their defense against possible criminal charges from the Feb. 20 fire that consumed the club and killed 99 people.
Keillor pens, sings tune about fire at nightclub
On last Saturday's edition of his popular National Public Radio show A Prairie Home Companion, host Garrison Keillor introduced "a little song" he had written with guitarist Pat Donohue.
Help, memorial services, benefits
The United Way of Rhode Island is administering a fund established in conjunction with Governor Carcieri's office, emergency-management officials, and local charities.
List of victims
This is a list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives, and friends of the victims.
03/07/2003
Bands rock at fundraiser for Station regulars
WEST WARWICK -- Last night, two weeks to the day of The Station nightclub tragedy, the local rock 'n' roll community came together at the West Valley Inn to raise funds for victims' families.
Town balks at releasing records
WEST WARWICK -- Town officials have refused to release records pertaining to fire safety inspections at the West Valley Inn, which last night held a benefit concert for the victims of The Station nightclub fire.
Death toll at 99 as burn victim from Fla. dies
The death toll from The Station nightclub fire reached 99 yesterday, after a severely burned Florida man died of his injuries at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Relief fund commits $276,000 -- mostly for funerals
The Station Nightclub Fire Relief Fund is paying for needs unmet after families affected by the disaster have exhausted traditional programs offered by more than a dozen agencies assembled at the West Warwick resource center set up for the victims.
List of victims
This is a list of people involved in the fire at The Station. The list was compiled from information supplied by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the hospitals, relatives, and friends of the victims.
Inspections result in the closing of 2 more clubs
A Central Falls nightclub, which had rebuilt after being destroyed in a 1992 fire, was shut down yesterday, and the Lincoln Country Club has closed voluntarily as inspectors continue cracking down on fire code violations.
Lynch considering workers' comp charges
PROVIDENCE -- Atty. Gen. Patrick C. Lynch said yesterday he is investigating t | 
