One firefighter was killed and six people were injured on Monday when a propane explosion destroyed a new building in Farmington, Maine. Farmington Town Selectman Scott Landry said the firefighters were called in and the building evacuated when the smell of gas was detected.
The blast had such force that only debris remained from the two-story building, which housed a nonprofit group called LEAP that serves people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities. The injured include four firefighters, including the town’s fire chief, one employee of LEAP and one ambulance worker, who were transferred to hospitals around the state. Five people remained hospitalized as of press time.
Farmington has a population of 7,600 and is about 70 miles north of Portland.