In response to last month's Rhode Island club fire that killed 99 people, Boston's mayor has signed an executive order banning pyrotechnics at all of the city's 210 nightclubs, and other cities are expected to pass similar resolutions.

Under the order, which is effective immediately, any club caught using pyro will have its license revoked. Although only one Boston club last year applied for a license to use pyrotechnics, the law should have a chilling effect on clubs that have allowed pyro without going through the proper channels. The order will not apply to stadiums, arenas and other large venues, which can still apply for pyro licenses.

Los Angeles' mayor has passed an ordinance requiring clubs to announce where emergency exits and lighting are before shows start. Clubs are also now required to have diagrams of all exits in a visible spot in the bathrooms.

Beyond new pyro laws and emergency alerts, little is being done to step up club safety procedures, but fire inspectors say that's because effective regulations and enforcement efforts have been in place for years.

Historically, the entertainment community has learned sobering lessons from misfortunes like the Rhode Island inferno and the Chicago stampede at E2, which left 21 dead (see "Death Toll Rises To 99 in Rhode Island; RI And Chicago Survivors Speak Out"). Tragedies that led to major revisions of fire safety law nationwide include: A 1903 fire in the Iroquois Theater in Chicago that killed 602; a 1942 blaze at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston that killed 492; a 1977 fire at the Beverly Hills Supper Club in Southgate, Kentucky, that killed 164; and the 1990 inferno at Happyland Social Club in New York that killed 87.

And in light of recent events, many fire departments are making adjustments to their inspection regimen. The Chicago Fire Department sent an extra team of inspectors out the week after the E2 incident and scheduled more inspections to occur at night, when clubs operate under the most dangerous conditions.

In New York officials vowed to inspect all of the city's 350 clubs by the end of the month, slightly ahead of their normal pace. Los Angeles fire officials said they're also stepping up inspections a little, but their efforts, and those of other departments in other cities, are hampered by a lack of manpower.

"The job is getting bigger all the time," said Los Angeles Fire Capt. Richard Gregory. "There are lots of illegal clubs in warehouses and private homes, and it's difficult to find these locations. We're stressed at the seams and we need more inspectors."

Fire departments in major cities usually send out between two and six inspectors per night, who check between 50 and 100 clubs per week. And violations are common. Los Angeles officials said about half the clubs checked are hit with citations, and in Chicago 17 of 24 clubs inspected in one night had violations, including obstructed or locked exits, overcrowding, broken or missing emergency lights, and unapproved or unlit exit signs. In many cities, clubs that fail to remedy violations in three visits have their licenses revoked.

Though many predicted a spate of club closings would come in the wake of the recent tragedies, it hasn't happened. Only one Boston club was recently closed down — a four-story establishment with broken sprinklers, tables and chairs blocking fire exits, and an unusable fire escape. The club is correcting the violations and is expected to reopen. In New York, an illegal social club in Queens was closed for good, and in Los Angeles, one club was closed for the night because of overcrowding.

Despite their frequent violations, statistics show clubs are safer now than ever. According to the National Fire Protection Association, there are around 500 fires per year in U.S. nightclubs, compared to more than 1,200 per year between 1980 and 1986.

—Jon Wiederhorn

Look out for your own safety, and check out "How To Keep Yourself Safe If There's A Crowd Crush Or Fire At A Club."

MTV News will revisit the recent nightclub tragedies in Rhode Island and Chicago, and explore club safety issues in a special edition of "The Wrap," airing Tuesday at 8:30 a.m., Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. Friday at 1 p.m. and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. on MTV2.