Building explosion rocks Maine town; firefighter killed

Farmington, Maine — The Franklin County Sheriff’s Department in Maine says firefighters are responding to a building explosion that rocked the town of Farmington, and a county sheriff says there are injuries. One firefighter was killed, Farmington Selectman Scott Landry confirmed to CBS News.

Video from the scene indicates the building that houses a nonprofit devoted to helping people with cognitive and intellectual disabilities was reduced to rubble Monday morning. Paper and other debris rained down on the neighborhood.

Kim Hilton from the admissions office of nearby University of Maine at Farmington said she first thought a vehicle had crashed into her building.

Franklin County Sheriff Scott Nichols tells WMTW-TV that firefighters were injured. Law enforcement and fire officials say the explosion happened sometime before 8:30 a.m. at Leap Inc. on Farmington Falls Road. Further details weren’t immediately available.

According to Leap’s website, it’s a nonprofit devoted to “supporting people with developmental, cognitive and intellectual disabilities to be actively involved in their home communities.”