WEST WARWICK, R.I. — On Thursday, February 20 in West Warwick Rhode Island, 350 people gathered to see a performance by the ’80’s band Great White and relax for the evening. But instead of having a peaceful night, the patrons of the Station nightclub were caught in the middle of a nightmare when the band’s pyrotechnics display ignited a fire that took 97 lives and left 187 people injured; 34 critically. The Station nightclub fire has resulted in increased attention on local clubs and how carefully they adhere to fire codes. For the clubs in Plymouth, it is an issue that owners and managers take seriously.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, questions were raised about the club’s safety and potential fire code violations. The Station did not have a permit for the band’s pyrotechnics display and the foam acoustic panels behind the stage were flammable, another aspect being investigated. The club contained 350 people, which is over its maximum capacity of 300. The Station was not required to have a sprinkler system due to its small size. Reports say that the club had lit exit signs, but patrons rushed to the front door, trampling other people in the flight from the bar.
Such an incident is not new to club history. The Station fire has been listed as the fourth worst nightclub fire in US history. The worst is the 1942 fire at the Cocoanut Grove in Boston that claimed 492 lives and influenced the passing of numerous fire regulations in public buildings. The second worst fire was at the Rhythm Club Dance Hall in Natchez, MS in 1940 that killed 207 people; the third occurred in 1977 at the Beverly Hills Supper Club and killed 165 people.
While the Cocoanut Grove fire led to the passage of many fire laws, the Station fire is causing a renewed concern for how closely club owners follow those laws. The Boston Globe reports that the city’s mayor Thomas Menino is meeting with nightclub owners to support tougher fire laws, and a recent report by WMUR focused on fire laws in New Hampshire venues. Many PSC students spend their off-hours at locations such as Biederman’s, The Bier Haus, Plymouth House of Pizza, and Hong Kong Garden, all places where the potential for tragedy is a reality and measures are taken to avert it.
Stefani Karageorges, the owner of Plymouth House of Pizza, says that the building is up to code and is inspected every year. The maximum capacity is 175, but she tries not to have too many people inside. Hong Kong Garden manager Brenda Plante pointed out lit fire exits in both the restaurant and the upstairs bar. Both the restaurant and bar have sprinkler systems. The maximum capacity in the bar is 86, but Plante says it always closes before that number is reached.
Biederman’s owner, Scott Biederman, says that meeting fire codes is important, especially since the restaurant was severely damaged in a fire in 1993. Before then the building did not have a sprinkler system. After restaurant was rebuilt, one was put in. Biederman’s has a maximum capacity of 84 seats, has exits that meet regulation, and is regularly inspected. Biederman says he is especially wary of fire laws considering that the restaurant is in a basement. Mike Burnell, the Bar Manager at the Bier Haus says the bar maintains what he considers the highest standard of safety. There are lit leading upstairs exits and he says the fire department is in there every other week.
All of the owners and managers agree that the Rhode Island tragedy was horrible. Plante says that such a tragedy and the concern over getting everyone out is always in the back of any bartender’s mind. “I’ve always been scared by fire,” she says. Biederman says that, with the issues of club overcrowding and the state of mind of patrons who have been drinking, it is an occurrence that will probably happen again. He hopes, however, that the Station fire will raise awareness. “Its takes a big tragedy to wake people up,” he stated. In the issue of who was to blame, Burnell says the club owners had the final responsibility. “If he saw the first pyros go off,” he says, “he should have shut it down. He shouldn’t have had that many people in there.” The incident in Rhode Island is one that hits close to home for local club owners. “It’s shaken people up here,” Plante commented. It is a tragedy that Plymouth club owners are doing their best to prevent so that one can spend a night at his or her favorite hang out and feel nothing but safe.