Digital Extra: The Station Fire

09:21 AM EST on Tuesday, December 13, 2005

PROVIDENCE -- The first of three separate criminal trials in the Station nightclub fire case is scheduled to begin May 1, more than three years after the fire that killed 100 people and injured more than 200 others.

Daniel Biechele, the band manager who shot off fireworks that started the Feb. 20, 2003, fire, will be the first to go to trial, on May 1, Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. ordered yesterday.

Biechele will be followed by Michael A. Derderian, then Jeffrey A. Derderian. The Derderian brothers were co-owners of the West Warwick nightclub. They installed highly flammable polyurethane foam on the walls of the nightclub as soundproofing after neighbors complained about noise. The foam helped the fire spread throughout the club in less than 90 seconds.

The 3 defendants face 200 counts each of involuntary manslaughter -- under 2 separate legal theories for each of the 100 people who died.

A pretrial conference will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 20 in Biechele's case, and at 2 p.m. on Jan. 27 in the Derderians' cases.

Yesterday's order setting the trial date was the latest in a recent spate of rulings in the case. Last week, Darigan refused to dismiss any of the charges against Biechele and the Derderians. The judge also ordered the state to give the defendants most of the remaining polyurethane foam so they can conduct scientific tests to prepare for their defense.