The thump, thump, thump of helicopter blades over our townhouse in West Warwick woke me out of a sound sleep 17 years ago. The wails of firetrucks and ambulances racing up and down Route 2 carried a piercing, haunting song into the cold night air.
I shook my husband awake, urging him to listen to the sirens. Ron agreed something catastrophic probably had happened, then rolled over, saying we’d learn about it in the morning.
After a fitful sleep, I awakened to the horrific news of the Station nightclub fire. When I heard patrons were trapped at the single-door exit, my mind immediately began to replay the story of the 1944 Circus Fire in Hartford. Six members of my family were there, and only four returned home. The remaining two were among the 168 people killed when the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus big top caught fire and collapsed.
