WEST WARWICK — 2003 · Major Tragedy
The Station Nightclub Fire
On the evening of 20 February 2003, during a rock concert at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, stage pyrotechnics ignited flammable acoustic foam on the walls and ceiling. Within six minutes the whole building was engulfed. Although the club, holding around 460 people, had four exits, the crowd surged toward the main entrance; 100 people died and 230 were injured. The tour manager who set off the pyrotechnics pleaded guilty in 2006 to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter, and one of the club owners received a similar sentence. It remains the deadliest pyrotechnics accident in U.S. history. A memorial park opened on the site in 2017.
- Date
- 2003
- Place
- Rhode Island, USA, West Warwick, US
- Category
- Major Tragedy
- Case Status
- Closed
- Coordinates
- 41.7016, -71.5163 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 20 February 2003Pyrotechnics ignited the acoustic foam; 100 people died.
- 2006The tour manager pleaded guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter.
- 2008Civil suits were resolved through monetary settlements.
- May 2017Station Fire Memorial Park opened on the site.
Sources
- NPR — Memorial Park Honors Victims Of 2003 Rhode Island Nightclub Fire npr.org ↗
- Britannica — The Station nightclub fire (2003) britannica.com ↗
- Wikipedia — The Station nightclub fire en.wikipedia.org ↗
- NPR
- Britannica
- WPRI
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.