A powerful propane explosion destroyed a building in Farmington, Maine, leaving a firefighter dead and eight people injured.
According to Farmington Town Selectman Scott Landry, the firefighters received a call regarding the smell of gas coming from the building, which was evacuated, when the blast happened. The force of the explosion leveled the two-story building housing a nonprofit group called LEAP, which caters to people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities.
Landry said "It’s a war zone. It’s just a mess. The building is gone."
The propane explosion in Maine killed 68-year-old Fire Capt. Michael Bell, a 30-year member of the Farmington Fire Department, and injured his brother, Fire Chief Terry Bell, and four other firefighters. They are receiving treatment at Maine Medical Center in Portland.
Four of the injured firefighters are currently in intensive care while the other one had less severe injuries and was released after treatment. An ambulance worker who was injured was also immediately released while one LEAP employee was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
The explosion, which was heard for miles, happened around 8:30 a.m. EDT and was powerful enough to blow away a vehicle across an intersection. Buildings in proximity to the blast were damaged and forces several businesses to close down while paper, insulation and building debris scattered in the area.
Franklin County Sheriff Scott Nichols said “It was just total devastation. I’ve never seen destruction like that in my career. I’ve been in law enforcement 35 years. I’ve never seen anything like this before in my life, except overseas. It was horrible."
Kim Hilton, who works at the nearby University of Maine, narrated “It felt like someone hit our building with a vehicle." Farmington resident Jacob Gage said “The scene was very ominous. There was still insulation falling from the sky like a gentle snow, and first responders were running around trying to administer first aid."
Maine Governor Janet Mills, who grew up in Farmington, tweeted her condolences for Michael Bell, whom she said she knew. She visited the explosion site and the fire department.
