Watch CBS News

Families, Survivors Mark 15th Anniversary Of Station Nightclub Fire

WEST WARWICK, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island is marking the 15th anniversary of a nightclub fire that killed 100 people and injured more than 200 others.

The Feb. 20, 2003, fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick started when pyrotechnics for the rock band Great White set fire to flammable foam installed as soundproofing.

station-nightclub
The burned remnants of The Station nightclub, after a fire killed 100 people in February 2003. (Photo by Douglas McFadd/Getty Images)

The brothers who owned the club and Great White's tour manager were charged in the fire. All three reached plea deals, with the tour manager pleading guilty to 100 counts of manslaughter and the brothers pleading no contest.

Lawsuits brought by survivors and victims' relatives were settled for $176 million.

The site of the fire is now a memorial park.

station nightclub fire
The memorial at the site of the Station nightclub fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island. (WBZ-TV)

On Tuesday, some survivors and victims' relatives will gather there to discuss a new federal tax incentive for sprinkler installation.

(© Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.