A fire marshal who said he never noticed a major safety problem at a nightclub where a fire later killed 100 people can't be sued because state law shields him from liability and because he didn't ignite the blaze, his attorneys said Monday.
Former West Warwick Fire Marshal Denis Larocque has said he never spotted flammable foam lining the walls of The Station club during an inspection. Sparks from a band's pyrotechnic display ignited that foam on Feb. 20, 2003, triggering a massive blaze that trapped dozens of people inside an overcrowded roadside bar.
Larocque visited the club several times and cited numerous fire code violations -- but not the foam.
He told investigators after the fire he missed the foam because he was so distracted by a door near the stage that swung the wrong way, which he had previously cited. He also told a state grand jury that his inspections of the club had been focused on checking extinguishers, exit signs and emergency lighting.
Should he have imunity?
