This Day in History:br Station Nightclub Fire in Rhode Island February 20, 2003 100 people were killed and br nearly 200 injured when a fire br broke out at a rock concert at br the West Warwick nightclub. Pyrotechnics used in the br stage show of heavy-metal band br Great White started the fire, igniting the soundproofing br foam along the ceiling. 400 panicked concert-goers br attempted to exit the front br entrance, causing a pile-up. A local news crew happened br to be on scene that evening, reporting br on safety issues related to nightclubs. The fire was the deadliest in br the U.S. in over a quarter of a century.