Digital Extra: The Station Fire

03:26 PM EST on Wednesday, December 15, 2004

The Associated Press

PROVIDENCE -- The state can gather records from Home Depot on purchases made by the owners of The Station nightclub where a fire killed 100 people, a Superior Court judge ruled today.

Judge Francis Darigan granted a motion from the state attorney general's office allowing prosecutors to subpoena records for purchases made or authorized by Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, and their company Derco LLC, between April 11 and May 31, 2000.

The brothers face manslaughter charges stemming from the Feb. 20, 2003 fire at their West Warwick club. The fire killed 100 people and injured more than 200 others. Daniel Biechele, a concert tour manager, also faces involuntary manslaughter charges linked to lighting the pyrotechnics that started the blaze.

The fire began when sparks from the pyrotechnic display ignited flammable foam installed in the club as soundproofing.

Prosecutors hope the records will shed light on purchases the brothers made in the months after they took over The Station. The records the prosecutors want are for a period in which prosecutors believe the Derderians bought the foam.

Darigan also scheduled another pre-trial conference for Jan. 14, and instructed attorneys to present proposals for testing materials taken from the site of the blaze.