The Providence Journal has identified another 15 survivors of The
Station fire, raising to 427 the number of people who, according to
legal documents, survivors and others, were in the nightclub when it
burned on Feb. 20.
Last Sunday, The Journal published a list of 412 people -- including the
100 who died -- who were inside the club when the fire broke out after a
rock band's fireworks ignited flammable foam that had been installed on
the walls of the club as soundproofing. That list prompted e-mails and
phone calls from readers offering leads on 20 people the newspaper had
missed.
Reporters confirmed 15 of those, ruled one out and were unable to
confirm four. No one on the list of 412 contacted The Journal to say the
list was wrong.
The 412 reported last week exceeded all of the various limits on the
club's capacity set by the Town of West Warwick. Those limits ranged
from as low as 253 to as high as 404, according to town documents.
The total is also greater than the number that officials have said were
in the club when it burned. In public comments just after the fire,
Governor Carcieri estimated the crowd at 350.
Last week, a spokesman for Atty. Gen. Patrick C. Lynch declined to say
how many people investigators think were in the club, except to say that
it was an important question in the criminal investigation into the
fire. A grand jury is considering whether to charge anyone.
Jeffrey B. Pine, the lawyer for nightclub co-owner Jeffrey A. Derderian,
questioned the 412 number. He said he believed the crowd numbered 300 to
350, but declined to say how he arrived at that estimate.
Though 404 was the highest of the limits the town set for the nightclub,
it is unclear whether that limit applied on the night of the fire. In a
memo dated March 2, 2000, to Police Chief Peter Brousseau, Fire Marshal
Denis P. Larocque put two conditions on allowing 404 people: all tables
and chairs must be removed from the building and the club must hire a
uniformed firefighter to be on-duty.
On the night of the fire, the club's owners cleared out most of the
table and chairs, but did not hire a firefighter. The limit without
meeting the conditions, according to Larocque's memo, was 258. In a memo
dated three months earlier, Larocque had set a limit of 317 if tables
and chairs were removed in certain parts of the club. It is unclear
whether that limit still applied.
The 317 limit is close to the number who survived the fire.
Casey C. Grant, assistant chief engineer at the National Fire Protection
Association, called capacity limits one of the prime factors in making
sure people can get out of a building safely in an emergency. "If we're
exceeding that, we're flirting with danger," said Grant.
Some of those who contacted the paper last week said they did so
reluctantly, but wanted to be sure the record is straight.
"I'm just calling because I think it's important to have an accurate
count," said survivor Kimberly Phillips.
Governor Carcieri has refused to provide The Journal with a list of
people who were in the nightclub. The newspaper has filed a lawsuit,
which is pending in Superior Court, to compel him to hand over that
information.
Meanwhile, several survivors and the families of those who died, have
filed lawsuits seeking damages from the fire. More such suits are
expected.
Most of the survivors, 205, were identified in interviews by Journal
reporters. Another 58 survivors were identified in those interviews.
Lawyers, either in legal filings or in direct communication with
reporters, identified another 48. Relatives identified 9 survivors.
Hospitals confirmed the identity of 5 survivors after reporters asked
for information about them by name. One survivor is the Channel 12
cameraman who took pictures inside the burning club, and one sold
photographs of inside the fire to Rolling Stone magazine.
THE FOLLOWING survivors were interviewed by The Journal last week after
the list of 412 was published:
Anthony Cugini, 26, of Randolph, Mass.
Cara Ann Del Sesto, 27, of Johnston.
Lisa Ann Del Sesto, 27, of Johnston.
Seth Michael Dinger, 21, of Berwick, La.
Alison Lee James, 29, of Portsmouth.
Jason Rookie Nadeau, 27, of Providence.
Kimberly Grace Phillips, 35, of West Warwick.
Scott Michael Preuit, 27, of Portsmouth.
Donald Norman Trudeau, 57, of Warwick.
Gerald Warren Tucker, 31, of Middletown.
Larry Joseph Zeringue, 37, of Thibodaux, La.
THE FOLLOWING survivors were identified by other survivors:
Michael Kaczmarczyk.
Howard Rubin, of Easton, Mass.
THE FOLLOWING survivors were identified by a relative:
Steve J. Chalifoux, of Hope Valley.
Julie A. Hagen, of Hope Valley.
The complete list of 427 names can be found on
projo.com//extra/2003/stationfire/ at:
www.projo.com/extra/2003/stationfire/20030928_firelist.htm
