01:00 AM EDT on Sunday, May 14, 2006

Our region last week went through several wrenching days as citizens heard the statements of people who had lost loved ones in the Station nightclub fire: statements delivered before the sentencing, on Wednesday, of Daniel Biechele.

It is obvious that no punishment of Mr. Biechele -- the person who directly, though inadvertently, caused the inferno -- could be severe enough to compensate for the suffering. But given all the factors, Judge Francis Darigan's sentence, four years in prison, seems a proper one: reasonable and compassionate.

Clearly, Mr. Biechele had not dreamed of hurting anyone when, as the tour manager of the band Great White, he lit fireworks on the night of Feb. 20, 2003. He had no idea that The Station was a tinderbox. And clearly, he is deeply remorseful for what happened. He will continue to suffer for what he has done.

Meanwhile, it is important to remember that Mr. Biechele's actions were only one link in the long chain of events that led to the deaths of 100 people. Notably, state and local officials played a prominent role. And thus far they have been held utterly unaccountable.

They inspected the club without citing the dangerous conditions that Mr. Biechele had no idea existed. They failed to order removal of the flammable foam. And they twice raised the club's legal occupancy, allowing for the overcrowding that prevented the fire victims' escape.

Why?

Rhode Island's political leaders have done the public a terrible disservice by failing to pursue an answer to that question.

While the General Assembly has passed a draconian fire code since the disaster, imposing tremendous costs on the public, the simple fact remains: Had existing laws been enforced, the Station tragedy could never have happened.

We trust that at least some of the many questions surrounding the nightclub fire will be answered in the coming trials of Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, the club's owners.

It is important to punish those who contributed to so much suffering -- to deter others who might consider being reckless with the public's safety. But it is equally important to get all the answers to why the official procedures to protect the public broke down. If that problem is not addressed, the public will continue to be at risk, no matter how many laws are passed or how many people are thrown into prison.