# Warwick RI Nightclub Disaster-Who Is To Blame?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warwick-ri-nightclub-disaster-who-is-to-blame/157786>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [February 27, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warwick-ri-nightclub-disaster-who-is-to-blame/157786 "2003-02-27T01:56:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warwick-ri-nightclub-disaster-who-is-to-blame/157786/1 "2003-02-27T01:56:01Z")

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Well, 97 people are dead, and the blame is being spread around. We all now know the horrible facts:  
-the club was a firetrap-80+ years old, and a tinderbox  
-the ownwers made their own sound insulation: flammable foam rubber glued on to the ceiling tiles!  
-the club manager allowed the use of pyrotechnic devices, which set the stage on fire  
-there was no emergency lighting system  
-the owners apparently di not want to pay for a police/fire dept. detail  
-there were close to 500 people in a place licensed for 300  
-the fire inspector passed the dump on a recent inspection  
Now, there will probably be lots of lawsuits filed…but who is to blame for this disaster? Can the town be held liable?  
Something to think about when you are planning a night out!

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**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/warwick-ri-nightclub-disaster-who-is-to-blame/157786/2 "2003-02-27T04:11:27Z")

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Do you have a quote/cite on any of that. From what I’ve heard the club owners did not give permission and “Great White” apparently set off the pyrotechnics at other bars without permission as well. Certainly your version makes it obvious that it was the club’s fault but I don’t think your version is accurate.

From [Yahoo](http://entertainment.yahoo.com/entnews/eo/20030221/104587320000.html):

> [@](#):
>
> West Warwick police chief, Peter Brousseau, indicated charges will “most definitely” be filed against the owners of the nightclub, but officials are still trying to determine who was ultimately responsible.
> 
> At issue is whether or not Great White had permission to set off pyrotechnics.
> 
> Fire officials said the club did not have a pyrotechnics license but a statement from club owners, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, released this afternoon said they were not aware that pyrotechnics were going to be used in the act and did not give the okay.
> 
> [snip]
> 
> That claim was given some credence by the owner of a New Jersey nightclub, the Stone Pony. Dominic Santana said the band used pyrotechnics without his permission at his venue where Great White played last week.

Is this really a debate? At the very least we should wait for the actual facts.