Great White Concert Ends In Blaze.<P><RI>At least 39 people were killed and authorities expect the number to rise as they investigate a fire that engulfed a Rhode Island nightclub Thursday night, killing dozens and injuring more than 160.<P>The Station, in West Warwick, about 15 miles southwest of Providence, caught fire as a result of a pyrotechnic mishap during the first song by '80s metal band Great White, at about 11 p.m., according to the Associated Press. A spark or flame apparently ignited something in the ceiling and spread throughout the venue within minutes, leaving little more than one wall standing by the time firefighters extinguished the blaze a few hours later.<P>More than 160 people escaped and were taken to local medical centers, many with severe burns and others injured as a result of being trampled as they attempted to exit. Many of those dead were found near the front door, and dozens were still missing or unaccounted for in the early morning hours after the fire.<P>Moments after the ceiling caught fire, chaos ensued and people rushed to the exits. <P>Hundreds of firefighters and police, and dozens of EMS workers from neighboring areas as far as Massachusetts, rushed to the scene, and rescuers were pulling injured victims to a makeshift triage area set up across the street from the venue. <P>Great White singer Jack Russell told WJAR-TV that the band's use of pyrotechnics was approved by the club. An investigation looking into several factors, including whether the Station had a license to use fireworks, is underway. A fire official told CNN that a permit for pyrotechnics had been applied for, but not granted.
