Providence Journal photo / Mary Murphy
Jessica Garvey, of Woonsocket, places a Happy Birthday balloon and flowers at the memorial for her sister Dina DeMaio, one of the victims of the Station nightclub fire.
WEST WARWICK -- The first one to pay respects arrived before dawn. He walked to the cross honoring the person he remembered, smoked a cigarette with his head bowed, then returned to his pickup truck. He said nothing to the broadcasters with their TV cameras and lights that cast the Station nightclub site in a white glow.
By 10 a.m., the parking lot was filling. An hour later, the flow of people was constant, and it would continue that way until nightfall.
Relatives and friends hugged, kissed, smiled, laughed and shed tears. They exchanged stories and said silent prayers. They placed bouquets and balloons and lit candles. They repeated promises to never forget what happened here, ten years ago to the day.
What happened was a fire that started at 11:07 p.m. when pyrotechnics ignited soundproofing foam as a band began to play. One hundred died and more than twice as many were injured. The tragedy quickly rippled outward, until untold thousands in southeastern New England and beyond were affected.
See the special report: "Forged by Fire: 10 Years After," from The Providence Journal.