Digital Extra: Forged by Fire

Journal file photo AFTER A FIRE killed five people in a West Warwick apartment on Dec. 23, 1995, a memorial was left at the charred home: a set of photographs of the kindergarten class at Maisie E. Quinn School, where victim Nicholas Larocque had been a pupil.

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The following is a summary of reporting sources used by Mark Arsenault for this story:

Stanley A. Davies's work history: Interview with Davies.

Highland Street fire and investigation: Interview with Stanley A. Davies; inspection report, Marc H. Richman, Inc.; scene exam report, John B. Fiore, deputy state fire marshal; investigation report, Davies, state fire marshal's office; Crystal Larocque affidavit, Dec. 27, 1995; West Warwick Fire Department incident report; inspection report, state fire marshal's office; The Providence Journal: August 28, 1984; Dec. 24, 25, 27 and 29, 1995; January 11, 1996.

Fire alarms: Interviews with Thomas Coffey, director, Fire Safety Code Board of Appeals and Review, and Stanley A. Davies.

History of grandfather clause: Random House Unabridged Dictionary, second edition, 1993; interview with William Howe, state fire marshal's office.

Grandfather clause in R.I. fire code: Rhode Island Acts and Resolves, 1976, Chapter 271; The Providence Journal, May 27, 1976.

Irving J. Owens's work history: The Providence Journal, April 6, 2003.

Stanley A. Davies, Irving J. Owens and Richard James push for partial rescinding of grandfather exemption: Interviews with Davies, Owens, James, state Rep. Kenneth Carter; state Sen. Joseph M. Polisena; The Providence Journal, June 24, 1998.

Fire code bills of 1996, 1997 and 1998: Interviews with Stanley A. Davies, Sen. Joseph M. Polisena, state Fire Marshal Irving J. Owens, Senate spokesman Greg Pare; Senate bills, 96-2890, 97-0822, 98-2382; House bills, 97-6705, 98-7268.

Cocoanut Grove nightclub fire in Boston: The Providence Journal, 1943; The Boston Globe, Nov. 22, 1992.

Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus tent fire in Hartford: Connecticut State Library "Subject Guide to the Hartford Circus Fire"; The Providence Journal, June 6, 2000.

Rhode Island law to promote safety in places of public assembly and enforcement of that law: Rhode Island Acts and Resolves, 1949, Chapter 2321, Section 20; The Providence Journal: May 2, 1951; Dec. 11, 1955.

Commission to write statewide fire code: Report of the Special Commission to Study the Advisability of Revising the State Fire and Building Laws, Dec. 1, 1950; The Providence Journal, Dec. 8, 1958, May 10, 1962.

Our Lady of the Angels School fire in Chicago and Rhode Island's reaction to it: Interviews with Don Traynor and Charlene Jancik; The New York Times, Dec. 2, 1958; UPI, Dec. 1, 1958; Newsweek, Dec. 15, 1958; The Providence Journal: Dec. 8 and 11, 1958; Sept. 11, 1959; April 26, 1960.

The Colonial Inn fire in Bristol: The Providence Journal, July 11, 12, 15, 19 and 22, 1960; Oct. 16, 1960; April 21, 1961; April 17, 1964.

The 1968 fire code: The Providence Journal: May 1, 1965; April 29, 1966; Rhode Island Acts and Resolves, 1966, Chapter 216; Rhode Island Acts and Resolves, 1968, Chapter 130; Rhode Island Acts and Resolves, 1973, Chapter 9; Rhode Island Acts and Resolves, 1974, Chapter 4; interview with Thomas Coffey.

Providence College dorm fire: Interview with retired firefighter Sidney Lima; The Providence Journal: Dec. 14 and 19, 1977; Dec. 13, 1987; Dec. 14, 2002.

MGM Grand hotel fire in Las Vegas: Interview with Stanley A. Davies; National Fire Protection Association preliminary report; Las Vegas Review Journal, Nov. 19, 2000.

Providence Street fire: The Providence Journal, June 24, 1998.

Grandfather exemption as it relates to The Station fire: Interviews with Sen. Joseph M. Polisena and William Howe.