Three Minutes To Doomsday

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Yet there were indications that the West Warwick calamity, at least, was not the product of lax regulation. The building was 60 years old and consisted of approximately 1,200 sq. ft. of concert space, a kitchen, a bar and a few pool tables off to the side. It passed a safety inspection as recently as December after infractions like malfunctioning exit signs were corrected. The venue did not have a sprinkler system, but Rhode Island state law does not require one in structures built before 1976. The club's owners, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, were well regarded by West Warwick residents and police. One gesture made in part to mollify their neighbors may have proved disastrous. Last year the club hung soundproofing foam on the walls and ceilings to cut down on noise. But the material was highly flammable and caught fire almost as soon as Great White took the stage and the sparklers went off. Gerbs give off what is called cold fire, which, in spite of the name, can ignite flammable material.

Assigning ultimate responsibility for the disaster will hinge on determining who knew the band intended to set off fireworks. Local authorities say the Station did not have a permit to use fireworks, but the most intense scrutiny was directed at Great White, a largely forgotten hard-rock outfit that scored its biggest hit in 1989 with a cover of Ian Hunter's Once Bitten, Twice Shy. Through a lawyer, the owners of the Station said Great White's managers never informed the club that the band's act included pyrotechnics. And a co-owner said on Saturday the band did not ask for permission to use them.

Great White's lead singer, Jack Russell, returned Friday to the site of the destruction to search for the band's guitarist, Ty Longley, who has been missing since the fire broke out. (He is believed to be dead.) Russell told reporters that the band's tour manager always asks for permission to set off fireworks during shows. But even Russell did not sound convinced. "The club must've said yes, or we wouldn't have used them," he said. Owners of clubs in other cities came forward to say the band--on a nationwide tour to support a new greatest-hits album--did not consult with them before setting off fireworks during recent performances. Other clubs on Great White's tour said the band did seek permission but was turned down. Rhode Island Governor Don Carcieri said Great White "used bad judgment" in shooting off the flaming fountains. "I would say that using pyrotechnics inside that building, you were asking for trouble," he said.

Investigators will also want to determine whether the club had instituted proper safeguards in the event of a fire. Survivors of the West Warwick blaze say nearly the entire crowd tried to escape through the front door of the club, in part because the Station's three other emergency exits were obscured by the thick black smoke. How many people could have made it out in time by exiting through another door will never be known. The intensity of the conflagration was staggering; witnesses say the building was entirely ablaze three minutes after the fire started. When rescuers arrived, it was gone.