Land donated for Station Nightclub Fire memorial

The site that once housed the Station Nightclub, where 100 people died nearly a decade ago in one of the worst nightclub fires in U.S. history, will serve as a memorial to the victims.

The Boston Globe reported that the property owner, Raymond Villanova, recently filed papers to transfer ownership of the Rhode Island parcel to the Station Fire Memorial Foundation, which has already raised more than $100,000 in the hopes of creating a memorial for the victims. Rhode Island Gov. Lincoln Chafee attended the announcment of the ownership transfer last week, and said in a statement that the fire "was a profound tragedy" and "one of the most painful chapters in the long history of our state." He hopes the memorial will "bring some comfort and peace to those who lost loved ones."

A rock band was performing at the club the night of Feb. 20, 2003, when indoor pyrotechnics were set off during the performance and ignited foam insulation. The fire spread rapidly through the building. Read the NFPA Journal story on a study analyzing survivor response to the fire. Also, watch an audio slideshow of the immediate aftermath of the fire, narrated by Robert Duval, NFPA regional director and senior fire investigator.

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We just heard today in the news that a night club in Brasil had the same fate last night, 250 dead at least. That's really just awfull !