First responders and community members welcomed home Larry Lord on Friday, the worker who was injured in a building explosion in Farmington. He had spent more than seven months in Boston hospitals.
Lord was credited with saving lives by evacuating the offices of the nonprofit LEAP in Farmington on the morning of Sept 16, 2019, after he smelled gas. The building later exploded when Lord and firefighters entered it to investigate the source of the smell.
The massive explosion killed Farmington fire Capt. Michael Bell and injured six other firefighters, as well as Lord.
Maine Gov. Janet Mills, a Farmington native, says in a statement that Lord’s return home is “great news” for the town and the state of Maine.
“On behalf of the people of Maine, it is my honor to say to Larry Lord: welcome home. Your heroism on that tragic day, as well as your perseverance every day since, is a reminder during this difficult time that, with courage and kindness like yours, we can and will overcome.”
Maine Public digital producer Barbara Cariddi and the Associated Press contributed to this story.