Digital Extra: The Station Fire

09:41 AM EST on Wednesday, December 1, 2004

The Associated Press

PROVIDENCE -- Attorneys representing families of some of the 100 people killed in The Station nightclub fire in West Warwick as well a number who were injured have agreed to drop CBS Broadcasting Inc., as a defendant in one of the lawsuits filed in the aftermath.

Lawyers for both sides signed a stipulation dropping the claims against CBS. The stipulation was entered into the court record on Monday.

Max Wistow, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, would not comment on the decision to dismiss CBS, but said the attorneys planned to name another defendant in its place.

He would not name the expected defendant.

The lawsuit includes more than 200 plaintiffs, the largest number of any of the suits filed stemming from the fire. It was the only one that named CBS as a defendant, CBS attorney Michael DeLuca said.

DeLuca said CBS was originally named in the suit because plaintiffs thought it had control over WPRI-TV. The CBS affiliate employed one of the nightclub's owners and a cameraman who was at the club recording tape for a story on building safety when the fire began.

"CBS has no control over WPRI or ownership interest" in it, DeLuca said.

Brian Butler, the WPRI-TV cameraman, captured footage showing the blaze beginning when pyrotechnics were shot off during a concert by Great White, and the ensuing chaos. Besides the 100 killed, the Feb. 20, 2003, fire at The Station injured more than 200 others.

The blaze began when sparks from the pyrotechnics that were part of the band Great White's show ignited flammable foam placed near the stage as soundproofing.

The lawsuit alleged Butler blocked an exit while he filmed, potentially increasing the death toll.