Remembering The Station Nightclub Fire: Twenty Years Later
Twenty years ago today, The Station Nightclub Fire occurred located in West Warwick, Rhode Island resulting in 100 fatalities in addition to hundreds more injured or impacted due to the loss and injury of loved ones.
On the night of the fire, more than 420 people were attending a concert in the club. The concert opened with the use of pyrotechnics which ignited polyurethane foam that was on the walls and ceiling of the performance platform and the drummer’s alcove. The flames spread rapidly, and the drummer’s alcove reached flashover within 60 seconds after ignition. Within 90 seconds after ignition, smoke had spread along the ceiling and banked down closely to the floor. During this time, majority of the attendees attempted to escape through the front door (where they had entered) which caused overcrowding that led to injuries and deaths.
In comparison, another similar fire took place three days earlier at the Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis, MN. At this nightclub, the band also set off pyrotechnics that ignited polyurethane foam that was installed on the walls of the club. However, as the fire spread to the ceiling, the fire growth was limited by the automatic activation of the fire sprinkler system and suppression was then completed by the fire department. In this incident, the 120 concert attendees were able to evacuate safely and the café reopened for business in the summer of 2003.
Both fires are tragic reminders of the importance of automatic sprinkler system installation in nightclubs, understanding fire growth and spread, following occupancy limits, and knowing where and how to exit during an emergency. Like the importance of having an escape plan in your home, it is important to consider your closest point of egress when out in public as well.
Steve Kerber, vice president and executive director of FSRI, and Dan Madrzykowski, director of FSRI research conducted research experiments as part the National Construction Safety Team when they previously worked with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Watch this video to see the fire re-creations of the Station Night Club Fire area of origin to examine the impact of an automatic fire sprinkler system on the fire development. The sprinklers suppressed the fire and maintained tenable conditions.
Review the following resources from the research to better understand what happened and the recommendations that have helped prevent similar tragedies over the years:
- The NIST Station Nightclub Fire Investigation: Physical Simulation of the Fire
- Report of the Technical Investigation of The Station Nightclub Fire, NIST NCSTAR 2
- IAAI CFITrainer.net, Analysis of the Station Nightclub Fire
- Experimental re-creation of the fire without sprinklers
