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