The Station nightclub fire

The Station nightclub fire occurred on Thursday, February 20, 2003, in West Warwick, Rhode Island, United States, killing 100 people including Great White guitarist Ty Longley and injuring 230. The fire was caused by pyrotechnics set off by the tour manager of the evening's headlining band, Great White, which ignited flammable acoustic foam in the walls and ceilings surrounding the stage. The blaze reached flashover within one minute, causing all combustible materials to burn. Intense black smoke engulfed the club in 5½ minutes. Video footage of the fire shows its ignition, rapid growth, the billowing smoke that quickly made escape impossible, and blocked egress that further hindered evacuation.

The toxic smoke, heat, and the resulting human rush toward the main exit killed 100; 230 were injured and another 132 escaped uninjured. Many of the survivors developed post traumatic stress disorder as a result of psychological trauma. This fire was the fourth-deadliest at a nightclub in U.S. history, and the second-deadliest in New England, surpassed by the 1942 Cocoanut Grove fire which resulted in 492 deaths.

More information

Comments Statistics

| | Public | Dutch • French • German • Italian