Trial by Fire

A Devastating Tragedy, 100 Lives Lost, and a 15-Year Search for Truth

By: Scott James

Narrated by: Justin Spencer

In only 90 seconds, a fire in The Station nightclub left 100 people dead or dying and injured hundreds more. It would take years to find out why - and who was really at fault.

All it took for a hundred people to die during a show by the hair metal band Great White was a sudden burst from four giant sparklers that ignited the acoustical foam lining the Station nightclub. But who was at fault? And who would pay? This being Rhode Island, the two questions wouldn’t necessarily have the same answer.

Within 24 hours the governor of Rhode Island and the local police chief were calling for criminal charges, although the investigation had barely begun, key evidence still needed to be gathered, and many of the victims hadn’t been identified. Though many parties could be held responsible, fingers pointed quickly at the two brothers who owned the club. But were they really to blame? Best-selling author and three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist Scott James investigates all the central figures, including the band’s manager and lead singer, the fire inspector, the maker of the acoustical foam, as well as the brothers. Drawing on firsthand accounts, interviews with many involved, and court documents, James explores the rush to judgment about what happened that left the victims and their families, whose stories he also tells, desperate for justice.

Trial by Fire is the heart-wrenching story of the fire’s aftermath because while the fire, one of America’s deadliest, lasted minutes, the search for the truth would take years.

©2020 Scott James (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

Excellent

Plays like a novel. I thought it would be too much but it wasn’t. Fascinating and very well done.

Biased but still good

Very complete telling of the event but there is an obvious bias towards the author's former colleague, the club's owner. The author repeatedly points out the bias of the media and the government. This is more the owners' side of the story. The "truth" lies somewhere in between the two, I expect. Still, well written and gripping. It was good to hear the perspectives and experiences of the survivors and to hear what they had to deal with following the tragedy.

Horrifyingly instructive

This is one of the hardest books to get through, emotionally speaking, yet one of the most instructive. Scott James has done the entire country a huge favor by telling this story so that people know the truth not only about what happened that night, but most importantly about our judicial system.

Well Told - Depicted All Sides of a Horrific Tragedy. Sheri McCue Johnston Rhode Island

Being a Rhode Island native and having 1 friend and co-worker as well as 2 other acquaintances who perished in this fire, I can tell you this tragedy hit this state like no other. This book was so interesting and answered so many questions. It was inspiring to hear Gina Russo and Phil Bars story in depth! The struggles they over came! Inspirational stories. My heart also goes out to Jeffrey and Michael as well as their families. People are human! Accidents and tragedies happen in a split second without any intent of malice or to hurt people! Lives were ended and rippled effects of this tragedy will never leave. I remember watching this live on tv in my living room the night my husband woke me up. He tried win tickets to that show on “stump the Dj” that week, he told me. He had won a bike one time so he had chances to win tickets by telling a joke and hoping the djs Paul and Al did not guess! I am so thankful he DID NOT win those tickets! Thank God! Thank you for writing this book.

What a great book

I loved it. I didn't know all the details of this event, only heard about it on the news. I am so glad this was written. my heart goes out to the club owners. they have a lot of integrity.

Well done.

Author sure did his homework. Very interesting and informative. He left no stone unturned. I highly recommend.

Wow but long but wow

Wow I don’t know how I missed this tragedy in our history. Perhaps having small babies at the time I was too in my own world to see the world. This is an amazing piece of work. It gives a lot of facts and information about the fire and about the lives impacted. It’s human. It is long but geez how do you tell a story about so much pain for so many people and stay brief?
James keeps the book moving and is orderly to help the reader understand the timeline. It’s reporting and not overly opinionated. I just finished and have all the feels. Anger, confusion, frustration, sadness, and more. There were no winners. There is no resolution. There is just truth. The raw truth that humans are hurting. I feel I have been educated on the story and can draw my own conclusions. It will make you think. Not just about fire safety but about government and politics and fairness and life. Worth the long read.

Well worth a credit

Thank you Audible for including this in the Audible Plus catalogue. I hesitate to admit, I would have gladly used a credit for it. The author skillfully weaved many stories together in such a way that was so compelling. Listening to every minute with eager ears, I found the story well worth much lost sleep. My heart goes out to all of the people involved and it’s doubtful I’ll ever forget this tragedy after hearing many facts that weren’t reported before. The talent of the narrator is extraordinary because it seemed as if he could channel each individual in his vocal performance. Sometimes everything comes together in an Audible selection, and for this listener, this is one of those rare books. 5 stars all the way!

Riveting and honest account of a horrible tragedy

Kudos to Scott James for a well written, fair and thorough account of the Station fire tragedy. This horror was relayed to the reader to inform with compassion and was detailed in all the numerous factors that led up to this sad event. Scott gave a voice to the many heroes i.e. survivors, their families, those that advocated for the survivors and the victims. There are also those that participated in the politics, corruption, and greed which hindered the truth from being told. This was presented in a non bias way. To have read the names of those that perished forever sealed them to be remembered and honored. A sad but excellent book.

Very good well narrated

Well told, comprehensive, very listenable, compelling, unfortunate that it took a long time to hear different sides and perspectives, thankfully the book does this.