Report: Findings From Nightclub Fire Probe Expected
March 3, 2005The following report was issued by the Associated Press:
During an investigation into a deadly nightclub fire, federal experts reconstructed the club's stage area, studied evacuation routes and reviewed the response of emergency personnel.
Their findings, expected to be released Thursday, are expected to shed light on what conditions inside The Station nightclub led to 100 deaths. More than 200 people were injured in what turned out to be the nation's fourth-deadliest nightclub fire.
The February 2003 blaze at the West Warwick club started during a GREAT WHITE concert when sparks from the rock band's pyrotechnics set fire to flammable foam placed around the stage as soundproofing.
A partial floor plan of the club was established by the experts, from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, who mapped the location of vents, doors and windows, and identified ceiling height.
The investigators also examined what exits the concertgoers took and how the smoke spread. Lawyers for victims' families and survivors have alleged the smoke was toxic.
NIST experts interviewed survivors, as well as club employees and previous patrons.
The institute already has released parts of its report, providing insight into what the final report will hold. For example, most of the patrons who tried to evacuate the club rushed to the front exit, quickly creating a pileup in which people fell on top of each other, blocking the door and preventing others from getting out.
Read the rest of the article at CNN.com.
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