WEST WARWICK, R.I. (WHDH) - Monday marked a somber anniversary in Rhode Island, 20 years after the deadly Station Nightclub Fire in West Warwick.
One hundred people died after fireworks ignited flames during a rock concert at the club back in 2003.
Investigators later determined flammable soundproofing material tacked to the walls caused the building to go up in flames within minutes.
A memorial now honors the lives lost.
On Sunday, organizers planned a mass of remembrance on the eve of the 20th anniversary.
Families and survivors gathered to pay tribute both to the victims of the fire and to the first responders who rushed to the scene.
Former Rhode Island governor Don Carceire was also in attendance.
“You’ll never forget,” he said. “That’s what the message is here.”
“It never really leaves you or anyone else who was impacted — and so many were,” he continued.
A formal ceremony is planned in May at Station Fire Memorial Park at the site where the fire took place.
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