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Investigation into Farmington Falls Road explosion to go into second week

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Looking out toward 313 Farmington Falls Road from Bjorn Park.

FARMINGTON – The state investigation into the explosion at the LEAP Inc. office building on the Farmington Falls Road will go into next week, a spokesperson said Friday.

Maine Department of Public Safety spokesperson Steve McCausland said that State Fire Marshal’s Office personnel plan to continue their investigation of Monday’s explosion into next week. Investigators did finish their on-scene work Thursday evening, turning the property back over to the owners and their insurance company. LEAP employees could be seen searching the debris and bagging papers Thursday evening.

“Fire investigators will continue their work next week, off-site, which will include conducting additional interviews and analysis of items gathered from the scene,” McCausland said in a statement released Friday afternoon.

The town has begun seeing to the clean up of Bjorn Park and the traffic triangle near the Farmington Falls Road scene. Ted Berry Company is utilizing vacuum trucks to remove the insulation that was scattered in a wide area around the building after it exploded. The clean up is not anticipated to cause air quality issues, due to the method of removal, but Maine Department of Environmental Protection does have a pair of air monitoring stations posted nearby.

DEP Director of Communications David Madore said in an email Friday that air samples collected earlier in the week had been tested and come back with normal background levels for volatile organic compounds.

“As a precautionary measure, DEP has set up two temporary air motoring stations near the site to continue monitoring air quality during the clean-up process,” Madore said.

Ted Berry Company’s specific cleaning effort is directed at town-owned property near the scene, not 313 Farmington Falls Road itself. Additionally, Town Manager Richard Davis said Friday, the company ServPro in Augusta had volunteered cleaning services to the town. Those efforts would focus on properties in the neighborhood that were covered in insulation.

In other news, Davis said that he and Farmington Police Chief Jack Peck were able to visit with Firefighter Theodore “Ted” Baxter Friday.

According to Maine Medical Center, Baxter’s condition was listed as “fair” Friday, an upgrade from yesterday’s “serious” designation. Capt. Scott Baxter and Chief Terry Bell continue to be listed in critical condition.

Davis said that Theodore Baxter indicated his appreciation for the community support that has been extended to the department.

One sign of that support was the red ribbons tied around lamp posts in downtown Farmington Friday, as part of a Wear Red event to show of support for those injured or killed in Monday’s explosion.

Yesterday, Governor Janet Mills authorized the town of Farmington and fire departments across the state to continue flying flags at half-staff in honor of those recovering from injuries sustained in the explosion.

“Please join me in keeping all of our first responders in your thoughts and prayers and thank them for the service they perform for the people of Maine,” Mills said in a statement released Thursday.

There are multiple ways for people interested in making donations to assist those impacted by the explosion. These include:

  • The LEAP Explosion Fund has been established by the United Way of the Tri-Valley Area, to benefit firefighters, their families, LEAP Inc. and its employees and those displaced by the explosion. Funds will be distributed by United Way based on need, in consultation with community partners, local emergency agencies, town officials and social service providers. Donations can be made online, via mail to PO Box 126, Farmington 04938, or at the United Way office at 218 Fairbanks Road.
  • The Farmington Firemen’s Benevolent Association is collecting money to benefit the firemen and their families. That fund was established through Franklin Savings Bank and donations will be accepted at all branches. Checks made payable to the fund of the donor’s choice can be mailed to: Franklin Savings Bank, ATTN. Hannah Boivin, PO Box 825, Farmington, ME 04938. Franklin Savings Bank is matching all donations in this and the following account, up to $10,000 per account.
  • The Farmington Disaster Relief Fund is collecting funds to benefit others affected by the incident. This fund is also through FSB and those interested in contributing can follow the instructions for the previous entry. Again, FSB will match up to $10,000 in donations made to this account.
  • A gofundme page has been established for Larry Lord, the maintenance manager of the LEAP Inc. The account was established to support Lord and his family. A FSB account has also been opened, under the name The Larry Lord Fund.
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3 Comments

  1. Thank you to all those who are volunteering their time and equipment in order to clean up after this horrible tragedy. It continues to amaze me how our small town communities rally together to help through the hardest of times.
    Prayers continue for the firefighters, their families and especially Larry Lord and his family. We won’t be whole again until they all come home.

  2. To our friends and neighbors….we have been held back from really getting the clean up going on a larger scale. As soon as we can, we want to make sure all the litter and debris is taken care of as best we possibly can. Our paper files have been blown up and tragically, are blowing around the town. We would appreciate it if any collection of papers either be destroyed, or better yet, bagged up and returned to us. 491-5983

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