THAT VIDEO OF THE GREAT WHITE STATION NIGHTCLUB FIRE
Wednesday, February 6th, 2008 at 11:02am by Vince NeilsteinApparently the YouTube link I posted Monday of raw, fan-filmed footage of the carnage of 100 people dying in a nightclub at a Great White show in 2003 got yanked due to a copyright claim. But thankfully MetalSucks commenter LiquidMan666 tipped us off to another site with the video, and this version is embeddable. Though the video and audio quality are lower, it’s better than nothing.
Guys, let MetalSucks get serious for a moment if you can believe such a thing. If you ever attend concerts in small clubs you MUST WATCH THIS RIGHT NOW. I implore you. After you see the club go up in a blaze in a minute flat and a pile of 20 or so people crushing each other to death at the doorway as their bodies get burned to a crisp, you will never think about concerts in the same way again.
Let’s just say that at the Exodus / Goatwhore / Arsis / Warbringer concert Axl and I went to on Monday, I made sure I knew where each and every “Exit” sign was. And now, the video.
-VN
Yeah, I don’t know if anyone’s mentioned this yet, but yeah, fuck Great White.
here are 3 vdeos that show the incident from start to finish on youtube, taken from the news crew that was there doing a show on club safety.
3 interesting points:
the pyro goes of for a full 25 seconds
the band plays another 25 seconds before they realize it, and Jack Russel only says “thats not good” before jumping offstage and running out the door.
the camera person appears to block egress (exit) for 30 seconds or more.
here are the links (sorry i posted too fast)
The Station Night Club Fire as it happened Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PHH_h6-3fA&feature=related
Part 2 ***WARNING GRUESOME AND GRAPHIC***
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQcvFKHsz6Q&feature=related
part 3 ( after math)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1djgFFsXoWQ&feature=related
I grew up in the same town, less than three miles away from this club. I’m so lucky to not know anyone injured at this show. Such a shame.
In all seriousness, whenever I go to shows – especially in clubs – my friends and I always look for the exits before we get in line for beer. It only takes a second and it’s the responsible thing to do. I have another pact too: if anyone is separated from the group, we all agree to RUN – and trust the others are doing the same. There’s no point in waiting.
These days you can’t be too careful. It’s not just fire…it’s all sorts of dangers like nutjobs with guns, etc.
Allyson B. Crawford
http://www.bringbackglam.com
I started the fire.
I pray that you never have to go through what all of us who lost family and freinds have to go through for the rest of our lives. To say shit like that is so fucked up and sad.
hey, where do you live asshole?
I live in Coventry, RI, Explain to me why I’m an asshole.
I’m still waiting for an answer Zack
Paul, Zack’s relying to James Hetfield.
Sorry Zack. I just can’t believe someone could write something like that. My anger made me think you were writing to me. Thanks for setting me straight John
I lost a cousin in this fire and spent the 1st year after the fire leading nondenominational services at the site. People will never get over this tragedy, they never received justice and as far as the politicos feel, it’s business as usual. The fire inspectors STILL aren’t doing their jobs, many public places have exits locked, blocked, unlit, doors that open the wrong way etc and nothing gets done.
There are 2 Station related charities that need everyone’s support -
http://www.stationfirememorialfoundation.org
http://www.stationfamilyfund.org
Please help.
In Response To Susan…
“The fire inspectors STILL aren’t doing their jobs, many public places have exits locked, blocked, unlit, doors that open the wrong way etc and nothing gets done.”
It’s not the fire inspectors fault nightclub owners choose to disobey the law. Fire inspectors DO their job. However with all the business owners who blatantly violate fire code to save a buck, they have much to keep up with. How about you learn a thing or two and put the blame on the people who break the law. Your statement is the equivalent of blaming traffic cops for people who speed.
In Response to Don Johnson…
“It’s not the fire inspectors fault nightclub owners choose to disobey the law. Fire inspectors DO their job.”
It was proven in the investigation that the Fire Marshall had been to the Station 3 months prior to fire and he failed to notice the highly flammable foam that was being used as insulation. This foam was a violation of the fire codes. Rhode Island law made it impossible to sue the Fire Marshall, which many wanted to happen. Although I generally agree with you, in this case it is hard to ignore that fact that the Fire Marshall was negligent in his duties.
by the way, I’m a firefighter in Ga and have done some study on this incident myself. One, the exit door opened the wrong way and was never fixed AFTER it was addressed (owner at fault), TWO, the capacity was over by 100 people and 96 were killed – do the math. Have someone count heads at the door and hopefully everyone could have escaped. THREE, the entrance was made to funnel people in, but in an emergency do you yourself want to be FUNNELED OUT? Not a chance. And Three, there was not a license given for the approved use of pyrotechnics in the show. Great White violated the rules and the owner allowed it, and they should be held responsible for the deaths of so many due to negligence of so few.
This is a touchy issue as we all know, and you can point fingers until the cows come home, but many can be blamed for this horrifying tragedy. The Band for using pyro without a permit or approval which they claim the owners agreed to allow it. The Owners for lying and saying that they had no idea that Pyro was used.. If that was the case, they should have inspected the stage setup prior to the show to make sure there would NOT be any pyro. Then we can also blame the owners for being cheap skates and not providing any fire suppression in a building that was over 80 years old. And last but not least THE FIRE INSPECTOR!!!! Yes, he should have went over the ordianance that made this building exempt from code due to its age and layout so to speak. And if it is NOT up to code, YOU LOCK THE DOORS ON THE DAMN PLACE UNTIL IT IS!!!! No EXCUSES!!!! Everyone is to blame for this nightmare… Hell, if we want to take it one step further. Lets also blame the victims for not looking for exits in the building or taking their chances by going into a place like this to begin with. No!! I am not trampling on the graves of the lives lost here, and my heart goes out to the families and the victims as well. The point I am making is that fingers can be pointed all day and it will not turn back the hands of time and bring these people back to their loved ones.. And sadly this all equates to being a very bad “ACCIDENT” People blamed the band at first. They did not go in with the intent to kill anyone. The owners were cheap and thought they could get away with something, but some asking for life sentences for them is ridiculous!! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!!! It sucks and there is nothing you can do, but being angry will not bring back those who perished. If it was my loved one in there, I would be devastated too, but after some time I would have to look at the fact that it was an ACCIDENT and not intentional!!! Time to move on and forgive. I am sure the dearly departed have forgiven those responsible or they would not be in heaven which forgiveness is a requirement if anyone reads a bible.. Why not those who are still here on earth?? Part of healing is to forgive no matter how bad it is!! And lets say a prayer for those who left us on that fateful night of February 2003.. R.I.P Victims….
i agree with susan.they should have doors that push outwords because they are esayer to handle.exspeaciely in case of a fire.
every consert or building should have push out doors in my opinon
i agree with susan .i think that all buildings should have unself locking doors because there easyer to handle.exspesaily in case of a fire something like that is veary serious.and if you have doors that open the wrong way that just gives you more troble and will take you more time to evacuate the building.it will only slow you down.
I have seen the youtube version of this vid. It was much shorter, but much higher quality resolution. I have spent hundreds of hours over the past three years researching the Station Fire because I am a professional drummer and I have used pyrotechnics numerous times over the years, and have had my share of “close calls”, so this really struck a nerve. I used to do a “Flaming Mallet” solo, and came close to setting the stage on fire the last time I did it some 20 years ago. It was the last time. I got lucky.
Where can I download a high res copy of this vid? I am building a website devoted to the hazards of the misuse of pyro on stage, and this vid is the best example of how something so simple can go so wrong.
I began my research simply wondering why Ty Longley didn’t make it out while the rest of the band did. I guess that question will never be answered. I assume he either headed for the wrong exit, or lagged trying to help others out, which sounds like something he would do. I had no idea of the breadth of the devastation when I first delved into this. What I ended up with was a deep hurt for everybody who suffered from that night. Not only for the ones who perished, and those injured, but also for the families and the world of people who have been permanently affected by that night. God Bless them all.
I have also researched the court testimonies of this case, and found an alphabetical list of the precise cause of death of each victim at the Station that night and I have correlated the testimony to the profiles of every victim. I did this because I got to know their names and faces so well; I wanted to know what happened to them in their final moments. They all looked like friends I have known. I don’t think I will post this publicly out of respect for the victims’ families. Thank God all but three victims died of “Inhalation of products of combustion and superheated oxygen-depleted atmosphere.” That’s a hell of a way to go, but I would prefer that to burning alive. Only one died that way, and two died from being crushed at the door.
The Derderian brothers are the sole heirs to this tragedy. They refused to comply with local fire codes. They deliberately defied the fire marshals’ and the inspectors. They were told to replace the doors with propper fire safety standard exits, they knew they needed a sprinkler system, but hid behind the red tape of the Grandfather clause…
I believe Daniel Beichele was the only Real Man in the whole case. While everybody else was Finger-Pointing, he stood up and said “The families have suffered enough” “I pushed the button.” “I am so sorry”. He and many others had used pyrotechnis in the club prior to that night with no problems. It was the Derderian brothers installing the flamable foam that made the difference that night. It wasn’t the band, it wasn’t Beichele.
The Derderian brothers pleaded “No Contest” and plea barganed. Beichele pleaded “Guilty” and ate his shit sandwich. That’s what real men do.
Hi Dave,
I don’t know where you can find a high res copy of the vid. I’ve seen many versions. They’re all about this quality.
I’ve been doing research into this tragedy as well. Like you I’ve been deeply touched by the scale and intensity of the devastation this tragedy wrought. It seems those poor folks that night went through something unique in its horror. There something haunting about it, something merciless.
How did you get the information on the cause of death of each victim by name? I’ve seen the Grand Jury testimony transcript of the Medical Examiner, Dr. Elizabeth Laposata, but the names are blacked out. I would also like to know where in the bar each individual perished.
As for the cause of death of the victims I’m not sure it was so merciful as you describe. The Medical examiner’s testimony indicates that many perished not only as a result of “Inhalation of products of combustion and superheated oxygen-depleted atmosphere” but also of thermal injuries which she said contributed to the death of many individuals, although most would have died as a result of their inhalation injuries alone.
I agree with you in part about the Derderian brothers’ responsibility in all this. I do however, hold the city responsible too for not requiring the installation of a sprinkler system in The Station. I also hold the Fire Marshall responsible for “missing” repeatedly the highly flammable foam the Derderians installed in that place.
I agree with you about Beichele. He did the right thing and manned up on his responsibility for the fire. Despite his terrible error in judgment you have to respect him for stepping up like that.
That being said however, you have to wonder (cynically) about the course of Justice in this case. Considering the unspeakable, inestimable damage Beichele and the Derderians did, a sentence of four to serve seems awfully light.
Six years after the horrors of the Station Nightclub fire, and we have another hauntingly similar horror in Thailand: initial spark from pyrotechnics, ignites sound proofing materials in the walls and ceiling, sealed windows and emergency exit doors LOCKED. It doesn’t matter who is to blame, dozens of mostly young adults are gone.
Dave’s comments (Dec.14) are exactly right. I live in Hoxsie, R.I. a few miles from the scene, and I have three acquaintances who had family in the fire. A neighbor who lives two houses up the road has a son who was near the exit and managed to escape unscathed. My favorite waitress’s niece was burned beyond recognition and couldn’t be ID’d for three days. The daughter of a business acquaintance was pulled out and survived — she has had eight surgeries to repair damage, so far.
Today, there are a hundred wooden crosses and makeshift memorials stuck in the gravel surface of the lot where the hundred died. Many Rhode Islanders have never seen them. They go out of their way to avoid the site. It is just too painful.
I don’t know who filmed this ,but at around 06:02 into the film you can hear people screaming inside the club, and there’s smoke and fire pouring out of the window. Then at around 06:10 a girl is screaming “HELP, SOMEBODY HELP ME!” and this jerk turns around and runs the other way. He was more interested in filming this then actually helping. I hope he can sleep well at night knowing he could of did something or at least tried. I would’ve at least yelled out follow my voice, or something. Or reach out I’m here.
You know the poor girl couldn’t see with all the smoke, and a simple yell out could be a matter of life and death.
There was little anyone could do after they made it out. The foam produced so much heat and products of combustion(smoke) so fast, that the club was filled with thick black smoke almost to the floor right after the camera man got out. When he goes around back and looks in the rear door, that’s what the inside was like right after he got out. Add in people clustering do the door and there’s no way out. Many people were already at the door trying to pull people out who were piled on each other, but to no avail. Once everyone got jammed up and piled on each other, they were screwed. They’re were lots of people yelling, It didn’t do shit.
People forget to note not just the violations in the insulation but much more attributed to this catastrophe. The club was a former restaurant that was turned into a club, its layout was not really the right type for a club with small cramped areas and winding hallways. The two side doors were locked, except for the kitchen door, and the side door by the stage had a bouncer on it, and the exit sign was intentionally turned off. Everyone was made to enter through the small funneled hallway entrance we see the people piled up on mid video (of which about 6 were pulled out successfully, those most of them at the bottom of the pile, the majority of those you see in the video in the doorway bottleneck died). Several windows in the pool table area (the long alcove on the right during the beginning of the song) were reinforced and thus nearly impossible to crash through, the pool tables were moved against the wall to make room for concert patrons, meaning one had to climb onto them to reach a window. The bathrooms (two wooden doors at the end of a hallway behind and left of the cameraman) were a long wooden tunnel with no exits, not even a window in the restroom, and only accessible from the dance floor meaning there was no way out of the hallway, both restrooms were total death traps, and all 3 people in the bathrooms at the start of the fire died.
When the fire started, the bouncer next to the stage, unaware of the fire, turned 5 people away from the door, 2 of which burned to death, before one man pushed him aside in anger and pointed out the fire, 20 people managed to exit through this exit, including the band, (this is the exit seen in the video right after the cameraman heads to the rear). Later estimates stated that nearly 60 people could’ve exited through the side stage entrance if the EXIT sign above the door had not been turned off to discourage people from going through it, and a bouncer was also place there for the same reason, many survivors later stated they were unaware such an exit even existed. The majority of patrons headed the way they came in, and bottlenecked, 31 people died in the bottleneck, most crushed. In the pool table area, one man was able to crash open a window at the last minute, and only 19 people made it out that open window, over 20 others died in that area, including the band’s guitarist, most survivors here sustained major burns as the fire closed in on them and the window was only finally crashed through.
In the main bar area (opposite the bottleneck hallway from stage), the locked side door was unable to be opened immediately as over 100 people ran across from the stage to exit at the only other obvious exit. After almost a minute, a few people banded together to get it open, others crashed through a side window and many exited there, most survivors (90) exited through this area, only 3 didn’t make it out in time, being 50 feet away from the fire, this area was the furthest from the stage and would have given survivors the longest time to escape if choosing this path.
In the back hallway leading to the kitchen and offices, the back exit was out of the way through a door; no signs pointed towards it in case of emergency; at least 20 people went down this hallway and into the office area or inside the freezer only to find they were trapped, 15 employees and 3 patrons made it out the back kitchen door, the least of any exit. Persons in the back offices all died due to them being withdrawn from the action, unfortunately for them, one would have had to have started leaving the building within 35 seconds (around the time the fire alarm first went off) to survive, if you had not yet started to run, you most likely did not make it out. Flashover (when the air reaches a temperature where solid objects can combust spontaneously) occurred at 5 1/2 minutes, meaning the entire building set ablaze if you had not yet exited by this time, you were dead.
For the comment on the cameraman not helping screaming people, this was near the pool table area, most people there were enveloped in thick smoke, and he would not have been able to see them if he tried even following their voices. Blinding dark smoke filled the entire club within 1 minute, disorienting everyone, yet at least 50 people still found a way out through the smoke.
100 died, 120 were burned or injured, and another 102 were uninjured, 322 people were in the club, 96 over capacity, had the club been at capacity, even with the violations, it would’ve not been so deadly. Four people who made it out of the club died of their burns.
Weird how there’s another Adam V up there above me, and i agree as to what he says, except for its not that easy to forgot and move on. It was the 4th most horrific fire in American history. If you know anything about Rhode Island, that’s a biiiiiig fucking deal. it happened less than a mile away from my house. Yes, fingers can be pointed all day long as to where to place the blame, and its not going to solve anything, butt to say just get over it… it’s virtually impossible. Everybody will grieve as long as they remember those who passed, or the incident itself, or anytime the Great White is mentioned. Anytime they drive down Cowesett ave. to get gas, or eat at one of the restaurants on that short strip, they will be passing the memorial that is set up. And living in Rhode Island, I moved three towns away from there now, and I still Pass it almost everyday. Now I find myself on the internet, stumbling upon a video of the tragedy that happened, and you tell people to get over it? Not that easy buddy…
I am also a fireman and I saw a video from a class I went to about a year after it happened.It was shot at the stage area and then the person backs out after the fire starts.It also is graffic and disturbing at times.I have tried to find a copy of this.Anyone know where to find it?
My uncle and his girlfreind died at The Station. I want to see the video of everyone before the fire started. Maybe I could see my uncle with a smile on his face and his sweetheart by his side. Thats what I want to see.
Paul…check out the ‘The Station Nightclub Fire as it Happened’ Part 1 of 2. Part 1 shows
many of the club-goers before the Great White band begins their performance. Part 2
shows the fire start…and all of the unimaginable terror that followed.
My condolences to you and your family for your loss. Indeed my heart goes out to all of
the victims.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1PHH_h6-3fA&feature=related
Thanks for trying to help me out, unfortunatelly I still couldn’t find who I was looking for. I thank you again for trying, I really do appreciate it.
I was up watching tv when the first reports of this fire came on CNN. From the first time I watched it I wondered how the camera person kept recording during the exit through the little hallway. If you watch that part you can see the people walking right behind the cameraman look like they are being slowed down by either the cameraman who is still trying to film while exiting, or or the influx of people already going out the door. For the sake of investigation/history I’m glad that the video exists. I think that it would be beneficial for some of our young adults who are going out to these clubs for the first time, to be able to watch the whole unedited video. I don’t think kids get how quickly things can go bad and take forgranted their safety even in fun nightclubs. Perhaps the tv station that owns the rights to this video should consider the possibility/availability of its release to schools/colleges such as the old driver’s ed/car crash films were used to deterr reckless driving and awareness of safety factors on the highways. Bless all those who were affected by this tragedy.
I lost my uncle Tom and his girlfreind Lori on that night, Thursday night. I just want to see video of that night, before the concert started. I need to see that Tommy and Lori together,like I remember. I don’t want to see the start of the fire. Can someboby please help me see the good part of this night before it all went to HELL. I miss and love them so much. Please help
please take my picture off the sight i was the girl with the tray in the begining and it hurts me every day of my life
If the girl with the tray wants her picture off this site it is your duty (who ever is in charge of this site) to verify it’s her and do as she ask’s !!!! GET HER PICTURE OFF HERE , ASSHOLE !!!!
The young lady at the beginning of the video perished in the fire. I found that out through research. So to come on here and pretend to be her is disgusting, disrespectful , and vile. If you want to be a twelve year old Internet troll, do so somewhere else.
As for the negative comments about the cameraman, testimony and the video itself shows that right after he exits, he knocks open one of the sun-room windows where a man later escapes. He saved at least one life.
God bless the families and friends as well as the victims themselves. Even after six and a half years, it’s still so utterly devastating and tragic. Because of seeing this, though, there is never a place I go without looking first for all of the exits.
That’s incorrect actually. For some reason this bit of misinfo has gotten around some. That waitress is not Dina Demaio. It’s Irina Gershelis, aka “the shot girl”. She survived. She was at the back of the bar by the kitchen at the time of the fire’s outbreak and left through the kitchen exit before the fire had advanced significantly.
I get the impression from Gershelis’ testimony that Demaio saved her life. Dina Demaio advised her to leave as soon as the fire began and it seems Gershelis left the bar immediately on Demaio’s urging.
Tragically, Demaio appears to have fatally misjudged the danger the fire presented. According to Gershelis, Dina didn’t leave through the kitchen exit with her. Instead she went (running) in the direction of the office where the staff kept their coats and other personal effects.
Gershelis left the bar through the kitchen door and waited outside for her boyfriend, Joe Barber, who was also in The Station that night and who also survived.
I live in Hoxsie, Rhode Island, 5 miles from the Station Night Club. Ironically, the cameraman was working for a local TV station doing a documentary for safety issues in clubs, theatres, and such places where large numbers of people congregate. Also ironic that the nearest West Warwick fire station is just across Cowesett Avenue one-third of a mile away. The owner of a large, fancy restaurant directly across from the fire scene asked his employees to stay on, threw the furniture from the main dining room out the back and the dining rooms of his Cowesett Inn were used by medical responders as a triage center. He provided coffee, water, and later sandwiches, soup for emergency responders and families who were affected by the tragedy.
For over a year, I could not bring myself to see that sight. I drove well out of the way to avoid it. Today, the lot is a desolate, sad looking place with a hundred crude flags of various shapes, sizes and styles, mostly hand made by family and friends, driven into the ground. It is a very sad sight to behold.
Ok: I’m a 911 dispatcher from Kentucky and just saw vidio of the Station fire today in training! It disturbed me a great deal and as I’m writing this, it still does due to the fact that I’m totaly blind and all I have is audio and descriptions of what happened. I live about 30 minutes from Southgate Kentucky where the third deadliest fire in American history happened 32 years ago at the Beverly Hills Supper Club. My heart goes out to the families of those lost in the fire, and I’ll continue to pray that you all find piece. God bless all families and loved ones!
The whole situation could have been avoided with the installation of a fire sprinkler system. Patrons should look up for to see if they are there especially when you have an overcrouded establishment with pirotecnics indoors. Not a single life would have been lost. God bless the families of those people.
those poor people. so sad.
And I can’t believe Great White is touring again.
that’s a disgrace.
Today is August 7, 2009. I just drove by the Station site. It’s been 6 years and about 5 1/2 months, and that site still looks like a disaster. What the hell is going on. To see that site the way it is, is a sin. Almost 7 years later and there is no memorial there? It looks like a junkyard. Talks of a memorial site are said every year, but how many years is this going to be said? From the 1st year until now, we’ve always been told of a memorial. We were even shown diagrams on how it would turn out.
WE STILL HAVE NOTHING!!!! The phrase “We will never forget those who perished that night “, is said every year. The sad thing is will we ever have a place to memorize them? God Bless All who were taken, all who were injured, physically and mentally, and God bless all those who loved them who were waiting that night just to hear if their loved one was still alive and unfortunatally finding out they were gone.
R.I.P. Uncle Tommy
I know Paul, it’s an outrage. Not unexpected though. Look at ground zero. 8 years later and they still haven’t rebuilt the place. What do you say about a country that has money and manpower for phony wars in
distant countries but not for its won citizens?
I added up how much was paid in settlements from all the lawsuits over the first. It looks like over $100MM was paid including money from Home Depot, a beer company, the company that made soundproofing foam, the city, etc.
The numbers are all in Wikipedia.
I can’t fix the above but “first” should be “fire”
Here are the settlement numbers:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Station_nightclub_fire
The number is actually $175 million so far
“As of August 2008, nearly $175 million has been offered to the families of the victims of the fire by various defendants in settlement.”
thats well and good that the companies involved have come forward, and offered that much, but thats just all it is, Offers of Settlement. 100% of the victims have to agree or there is none.
Unfortunately, all that needed to happen that night is for no Pyrotechnics to be set off and all would still be here.
My heart goes out to all the families.