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.
Superior Court Judge Alice C. Gibney, who is supervising lawsuits filed
in the wake of the Feb. 20 fire, said experts could start gathering the
evidence on Wednesday.
Her decision at a hearing this morning in Superior Court was in response
to a petition filed earlier by the lawyers.
The lawyers were not granted permission to do any testing or analysis of
the materials they collect from the West Warwick site.
Max Wistow, who along with a team of attorneys represents about 25
victims of the fire, told the court his experts needed at least two
weeks to gather the materials.
Wistow asked permission to remove items such as soundproofing foam,
ceiling and wall debris, wall coverings and carpeting from the site.
Lawyer Mark Decof said it was important to move quickly to preserve the
items because they are exposed at the site to degradation by the
elements.
The items will be stored in a centrally-located warehouse, Decof said.
The location has not been determined.
The attorneys visited the site for the first time Wednesday but were
limited to taking photographs, video and some measurements.
Decof said there is still "a wealth of material" on the site that will
be useful in potential civil lawsuits.
Attorneys are looking for materials that may have contributed to the
rapid spread of the fire and toxic nature of the fumes.
The fire, which was started by sparks from a band's pyrotechnics
display, killed 99 people and injured nearly 190 others. It was the
worst fire in the state's history and one of the worst-ever nightclub
fires in the country.
So far, two civil suits have been filed on behalf of three families who
lost loved ones in the fire.
Investigators for the state have already probed the site as part of a
criminal investigation.
