What happened to The Station nightclub in Rhode Island?

On 20 February 2003 a fire broke out in The Station nightclub. It would tragically claim the lives of 100 people.

The nightclub was a single-storey wood frame building with a footprint of around 412m2. It was built around the 1940s and had many upgrades and refits over the years. The building was not protected with passive or active protection and had just one emergency escape exit located behind the stage.

How did the The Station nightclub fire start?

Pyrotechnics ignited the polyurethane foam insulation lining of the walls and ceiling of the staged platform where a band was playing. The fire spread quickly along the walls and ceiling moving towards the dance floor area.

Smoke filled the exit doorways in little more than a minute and flames were observed breaking through a portion of the roof in less than five minutes.

Crowds of people at the main entrance to the building hampered egress paths. The fire department took five minutes to arrive - within this time anyone remaining inside the building would have almost certainly perished due to the intense heat, flames and toxic gases.

What can the industry learn from The Station nightclub fire?

Investigators focused on the foam material that had been installed behind the stage. The foam was found to be the kind intended for us in packaging for products - not for sound-treating buildings - and would not have been treated with fire retardant material.

The owners of the nightclub and the band’s former road manager, who had ignited the pyrotechnics, were charged with 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter. They all pleaded not guilty to the charges. They were fined $1.7m for failing to have workers’ compensation insurance for their employees, four of whom died in the blaze.