The country continues to mourn the deaths of 118 people in two nightclub tragedies; however, opinions are mixed as to how relevant these incidents are to the Charleston community.

Twenty-one patrons of Chicago’s E2 nightclub were trampled to death in the early morning hours of Feb. 17, when security guards allegedly used pepper spray to stop a fight.

The following Thursday, 97 people died in the Station, a Rhode Island nightclub, after a pyrotechnics display burnt the building to the ground.

Lack of accessible exits, overcrowding and an absence of a sprinkler system have all been blamed for the accidents — deficiencies that can also be found in many Charleston bars.

Although he would never issue a permit for pyrotechnics similar to those used in the Rhode Island nightclub, Darrell Nees, Charleston fire chief, said a tragedy of that level is possible anywhere.

“We think here in Charleston we’re immune to all that, but we’re really not,” Nees said. “Anytime you get a bunch of people in a room, something can set off a panic.”

Dave Heidemann, manager of Stix Restaurant and Sports Bar at 1412 Fourth St., said he’s unsure the bar will seek further safety measures or take extra precautions in the wake of last week’s events.

Heidemann also was unsure of the capacity at the tavern and said it was rare for employees to keep track of how many patrons enter.

“Sometimes we count if it’s a special weekend, but on weekdays, overcrowding is not really a problem,” he said. “The door guys know how many people to let in.”

The bar typically has seven or eight ambassadors, or bouncers, checking IDs, separating fights and guarding exits after 9 p.m. on the weekends.

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Stix has one main exit and four emergency exits, which are always locked from the inside, Heidemann said. The four emergency exits are marked with light-up signs which, with the exception of one, can be opened by hitting a panic bar that sounds an alarm.

The least accesible exit at Stix is on the northeast side and has lock that must be unlatched by a doorman during an emergency, Heidemann said.

Heidemann was not positive the bar had a sprinkler system, although no sprinklers were visible, but he said Stix had four fire extinguishers which he thought were checked regularly by the fire department.

Marty’s, at 1666 Fourth St., has a working sprinkler system above the bar, said Matt Shinnick, bar manager.

The capacity at Marty’s is 200 people and the doormen don’t usually count patrons.

“We do turn people away when it gets really busy,” Shinnick said, but added he has only witnessed the bar refuse customers once in the two years he’s worked at Marty’s.

Besides the main entrance, Marty’s has an emergency exit and an employee entrance. The emergency exit is always locked, but can be opened by hitting a panic bar, Shinnick said. A large sign propped in front of the exit reads: “Emergency exit only; alarm will sound.”

If a fight breaks out at Marty’s on the weekend, Shinnick said two doormen are on hand to break up the altercation without the use of weapons or pepper spray, which is the norm for local bars.

Mac’s Uptowner and Cellar, 623 Monroe St., has two or three bouncers on the weekends, but manager Scott Stewart said the bar will call in all employees if it gets busy.

Stewart said the Uptowner also will sell tickets in advance if a big crowd is expected in order to avoid going over the allotted 175-person capacity.

Five exits, three public and two service, are available at the Uptowner. Three are clearly marked and have emergency bars, Stewart said.

The Uptowner has no sprinkler system, he said, but has two fire extinguishers behind the bar, and least seven more where the kitchen once existed.

Mark Stoltz, owner of Ike’s on 409 Lincoln Ave., said his bar has a fire extinguishing system in the kitchen and fire extinguishers behind the bar, but no sprinkler system.

Ike’s has three clearly-marked exits, which Stoltz said are all accessible, and two of them have panic bars.

Stoltz said he doesn’t believe a situation similar to the recent nightclub tragedies could happen at his bar.

“We don’t have live music or a lot of things that contributed to the catastrophe in Rhode Island, or wherever that was,” Stoltz said.

Top of the Roc, 410 Sixth St., Lefty’s Holler, 727 Seventh St.; and Mike and Stan’s, on Monroe Street, were not available for comment. Jerry’s Pub, 1508 Fourth St., refused comment. Stu’s Surf Side, 1405 Fourth St., and Mother’s, 506 Monroe St., were not open before press time.

As fire department inspectors make random checks to nightclubs in Chicago and Rhode Island, Nees has no plans to check out the safety of bars in the area.

The fire department has no formal inspection program, Nees said. If the police came across a violation at a bar during a compliance check, Nees would expect the department to express concerns to him.

“We don’t want to send people in to count heads — that’s impossible,” Nees said. “Occupancies are supposed to be posted, and we want to give bar owners the benefit of a doubt.”

Nees said bars, such as Stix, that have had several owners in the past few years, have trouble establishing an occupancy rate. Nees said the rate should be based on the size of the building, its location and available seating.

Nees keeps all bar occupancies on file, but said some of them might be outdated or inaccurate.

Despite its ideal occupancy, he said every establishment is required to have two accessible exits per floor. Bars also must have a certain number of fire extinguishers within so many square feet of the building, including at least one fire extinguisher in every cooking area.

If an establishment doesn’t have a grill or a kitchen, he said, the building is not required to have a fire protection system, such as overhead sprinklers.

“Sprinklers shouldn’t be mandatory if there’s no kitchen,” Nees said. “What happened in Rhode Island is just plain stupidity.”

To avoid being involved in a situation similar to the club stampede in Chicago, Nees suggested using one’s own judgment.

“If someone feels uncomfortable in a bar if it’s overcrowded, they should leave,” he said.