Boston

1 Week After Blast, Last 2 Maine Firefighters Out of Critical Condition

Two firefighters remain in the hospital a week after they were seriously injured in a deadly explosion in Farmington, Maine, but their conditions were finally upgraded from critical on Monday while one of their colleagues was sent home.

Farmington Fire Chief Terry Bell was upgraded to fair condition and Capt. Scott Baxter was upgraded to serious condition Monday. Baxter's father, firefighter Theodore Baxter, was discharged from the hospital.

Bell's brother, Capt. Michael Bell, was killed in last Monday's blast at the administrative building of the nonprofit Life Enrichment Advancing People. Six other firefighters were wounded, along with a LEAP maintenance worker, Larry Lord, who remains hospitalized in Boston.

The deadly explosion took a deep toll on the Farmington Fire Department. Acting Chief Tim Hardy described it as "a brotherhood" and "a family," last week, while his own son recovered from injuries in the hospital.

The investigation into the explosion's cause remains ongoing.

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