PORTLAND – The last firefighter receiving treatment at Maine Medical Center was discharged over the weekend to a rehabilitation facility.
Capt. Scott Baxter, 37, was one of five members of Farmington Fire Rescue that were transported to MMC on Sept. 16, after a propane explosion destroyed an office building on the Farmington Falls Road. Deputy Chief S. Clyde Ross was treated and released at Franklin Memorial Hospital, while Baxter, Chief Terry Bell, Capt. Timothy “TD” Hardy and firefighters Joseph Hastings and Theodore “Ted” Baxter – Capt. Baxter’s father – were all transported to the Portland-area hospital.
Capt. Michael Bell was killed in the explosion. Larry Lord, an employee of LEAP Inc. credited for evacuating the building of other employees prior to the blast, has been hospitalized at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where his condition has been listed as critical.
Over the past several days, all five of the firefighters at MMC have been discharged. Baxter’s condition was improved to “satisfactory” on Friday evening; he was discharged Sunday. The name of the rehabilitation facility that Baxter was discharged to was not released by MMC.
Investigators believe that propane leaked out of the buried line that ran from an external tank to the building, permeating the ground beneath the parking lot and then entering the building’s basement. That tank was filled with nearly 400 gallons of propane on Sept. 13, but was discovered to be empty on the morning of Sept. 16, prior to the explosion. The cause of the leak and what sparked the explosion remains under investigation.
Information about a number of different benefit events and ways to donate to support those impacted by the explosion can be found here.
Great that all firefighters have been released from the hospital. Just don’t forget about Larry Lord!!!!
Good luck and a speedy recovery,my friend. I had been out of the praying business for some time but I have taken up the habit again. KEEP FIGHTING,LARRY! As one who spent 31 days in a burn unit I know what you’re going through. Don’t give up! You can do this!