Five years ago on Feb. 20, 2003, pyrotechnics lit during a concert at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I., started a rapidly spreading fire that caused the deaths of 100 people. Within a week, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) launched a two-year investigation of the tragic event to understand exactly what happened and to make recommendations for change based on those findings.

Cambridge University's Department of Engineering is taking part in a project to develop equipment that could help reclaim contaminated brownfield land for housing or commerce.