Digital Extra: The Station Fire

04:06 PM EDT on Monday, August 2, 2004

The Associated Press

PROVIDENCE -- Several residents who saw flames shooting from The Station nightclub or heard dozens of ambulances and fire trucks racing to the horrific scene called rescue workers in the hours after a deadly blaze erupted to ask how they could help, audiotapes released today show.

"If you all need any supplies or any assistance, if you just give us a call," said one man from Coventry.

"My mom's a nurse at Rhode Island Hospital. She was wondering if you need anyone to go the scene of the fire," says another on the recordings, released by Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch after a judge ordered that they be made public.

Callers offered trucks, gloves, water and food to firefighters and police responding to The Station fire in West Warwick, which broke out late in the evening on Feb. 20, 2003.

The tapes also detail the horrific scene that rescue personnel found at the fire, where people were trapped in the club and more and more help was needed in what became the nation's fourth deadliest nightclub fire and the worst fire in the state's history.

Screams, shouting and sirens can be heard in the background of the recordings. Firefighters call in asking for backup; town agencies coordinate with the state on resources available.

"Oh God," sighs one dispatcher, after hearing from the scene.

In one telephone call between the West Warwick Fire Department and a news reporter, a dispatcher says, "We're taking (those injured) to the hospital in busload."

In another call, the West Warwick Fire Department asks for help from the Coventry Fire Department, with a dispatcher explaining that people are trapped inside a burning nightclub.

The fire at The Station was sparked by a band's pyrotechnic display. It killed 100 people and injured about 200 others. Investigators have said many concertgoers became trapped in the one-story wooden building when they scrambled for the same exit.

Thirty-one bodies were recovered in the entryway of the club, the most found in any single area, according to a document, also released today, which identifies where victims were found.

Two bodies were recovered from the women's restroom and one was found in the men's restroom, according to the document.

The more than four hours of transmissions include about 165 police and fire calls. They do not include calls by club patrons or family members. They have been edited to delete addresses, names and phone numbers.

Superior Court Judge Mark Pfeiffer ordered the release of the tapes, and a one-page police report, about two weeks ago. The order came in response to a lawsuit filed by The Providence Journal seeking more information about what happened at The Station.

The judge denied a request to release 911 calls made by victims and relatives, calling them "intensely personal." Under state law, 911 calls are not public information.

The tapes released today provide further insight into how events the night of the fire unfolded. Rescue workers arriving at the scene described a massive casualties. Screams and shouting could be heard in the background of the recordings.

The club's owners and the band's former tour manager were indicted on involuntary manslaughter charges. They have pleaded innocent. Several lawsuits have been filed since from the blaze.

The attorney general's office was hesitant to release information because of the criminal cases. A judge has asked all sides to not comment on the legal proceedings.

Last November, the attorney general released about 270 phone calls and audio transmissions, or 3 1/2 hours of recordings, between police, firefighters and other first responders.

Some victims' family members have opposed the tapes' release, saying they shouldn't have to relive the events.