Jeff Pelchat, of Rehoboth, Mass., left, places his hands on the shoulders of his wife, Station nightclub fire survivor Kathy Pelchat, also of Rehoboth, center, during a ceremony Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018, to mark the 15th anniversary of the fire, in West Warwick, R.I. The Feb. 20, 2003, fire at the nightclub in West Warwick, that killed 100 and injured more than 200 others, started when pyrotechnics for the rock band Great White set fire to flammable foam installed as soundproofing. The site of the fire is now a memorial park. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
The Associated Press
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 site of the fire is now a memorial park.
On Tuesday, some survivors, victims' relatives, fire officials and fire safety advocates gathered there to discuss a new federal tax incentive meant to make it easier for small businesses to install sprinklers.
Gina Russo, a fire survivor, is president of the group that built the memorial park. She says that if there had been sprinklers in the club, "life would be completely different" for many of the people gathered there.
Karissa Rezendes, of Cumberland, R.I., center, places a flower on a memorial to her uncle, Station nightclub fire victim Benjamin Suffoletto, Jr., during a ceremony Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018, to mark the 15th anniversary of the fire, in West Warwick, R.I. The Feb. 20, 2003, fire at the nightclub in West Warwick, that killed 100 and injured more than 200 others, started when pyrotechnics for the rock band Great White set fire to flammable foam installed as soundproofing. The site of the fire is now a memorial park. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
The Associated Press
FILE - In this Feb. 20, 2003, aerial file photo, firefighters work amid the charred ruins of The Station nightclub, where 100 people died in a late night fire in West Warwick, R.I., started when pyrotechnics for the rock band Great White set fire to flammable foam installed as soundproofing. The site of the fire is now a memorial park where some survivors and victims' relatives will gather 15 years later on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2018, to discuss a new federal tax incentive for sprinkler installation. (AP Photo/ Robert E. Klein, File)
The Associated Press