The Incident
First-In: Heroic Rescues
Death Toll Rises to 97
At Least 96 Dead in Inferno
Rescuers Struggle with Horror
Fire, Smoke Turns Club Into Hell
Discuss the Warwick Tragedy
The Aftermath
RI Gov. Orders Strict Inspections
2 Families Sue in RI Nightclub Blaze
RI Nightclub Claims May Total $1B
RI Nightclub Death Toll Rises to 98
Victims Face Long Recovery
All But 4 Victims ID'd
Thousands Mourn Victims
IDs Could Take Days
Family, Friends Search
9/11 Widow Reflects
Survivors Recall Heroic Acts
The Investigation
Band Member Testifies
RI Reports Don't Mention Foam
Fire Inspector Report Released
Post-9/11 Drills Aid Club Rescue
Federal Team Launches Probe
Grand Jury Begins Probe
Brannigan: Inspectors Ready?
Investigation Ramps Up
Investigators Check Soundproof
Pyrotechnics Examined in Clubs
Disasters Prompt Inspections
Sprinklers Not Required
Nightclub Up to Code Before Fire
Town Withholds Records
RI Begins Inspections
No Warning of Pyro Use
Pyrotechnics Usually Safe
Atty: RI Club Rep. OK'd Pyrotech.
Fire Challenges State Atty. Gen.
IDs Weighed Heavy on Dentists
FEMA Denies Disaster Aid for Fire
Photos & Video
IBS Scene SlideShow
ABC: The Fire Starts
WJAR Video Feedroom
History of Tragedies
Carter: History Strikes Again
Fire, Life Safety Laws in Front
Tragedy Recalls Cocoanut Grove
Worst Club Tragedies
Nightclub Disasters Too Familiar
List: Worst Club Tragedies
Related Sites
West Warwick Fire Department
Warwick Fire Department
FH Network: Rhode Island
Providence Journal Coverage
Those touches had passed fire inspections before, CAV's owner says, but on Monday they were among the violations that led officials to shut the restaurant down.
Under orders from Gov. Don Carcieri, fire inspectors in Rhode Island are sweeping through hundreds of clubs and restaurants to check for particularly egregious violations after a nightclub fire killed 99 people and injured more than 180 on Feb. 20.
CAV reopened Friday after getting rid of the potentially flammable decor, but about a dozen nightclubs, bars and restaurants remained shuttered by inspectors or had closed voluntarily to fix violations.
The pace of the inspections is faster than the more comprehensive work fire officials normally do, but inspectors say the fire at The Station nightclub has not made them tougher on business owners.
Some proprietors disagreed, including CAV owner Sylvia Moubayed, who said offending items such as her oil lamps had been there for years.
``Even though it had a teeny weeny flame,'' Moubayed said, ``it became a fire hazard.''
Carcieri has ordered fire inspectors to quickly examine just over 800 midsize clubs and restaurants, focusing on venues with alcohol or entertainment licenses. More than a third of them had been visited by the end of last week.
``This is a serious and sincere effort by the governor to ensure that more lives are not lost,'' Carcieri spokesman Jeff Neal said.
Serious violations inspectors have found include blocked exits, faulty wiring, missing fire extinguishers and, in the case of an East Providence tavern, a fire exit that led to a fenced-in lot.
More common were minor infractions _ anything from broken exit signs to low batteries in emergency lights. In those cases, owners generally are given 48 hours to correct the problem.
``There's probably a little violation in each building,'' said Deputy Chief Richard A. Delgado of the Cranston Fire Department, which closed three businesses.
In buildings built before 1976, which do not fall under today's codes, inspectors still can only recommend modern requirements such as sprinklers, East Providence Fire Chief Gerald Bessette said. But he added that there are other fire safety changes older buildings are required to make, such as putting flame-resistant coating on wood paneling.
Local fire departments are trying to do a thorough job with small staffs, usually consisting of two or three inspectors, fire chiefs say. Besides this latest sweep, they also have to keep up with their regular school and home inspections.
``It's just juggling another ball up in the air right now,'' Delgado said.
Inspectors are having to work longer hours, but fire officials say the quality of their inspections is not suffering.
``There's only so much you can do and only so much time you can spend doing them,'' said James T. Condon, Pawtucket's fire chief. ``I'm sure they're looking at everything and I'm sure they were vigilant in the past and I'm sure they'll be just as vigilant this time.''
