FARMINGTON, Maine — Sept. 16, 2019, is a day the Farmington community won't forget. It was on that day Fire Capt. Michael Bell gave the ultimate sacrifice while responding to a call just down the road from the fire station.
It's been five years since the LEAP Incorporated building exploded, killing Bell and injuring six others, including Tim "T.D." Hardy.
"No call is ever routine," Hardy, who now serves as the town's fire chief, said. "Unfortunately, there are times when we get ourselves in extremely dangerous situations."
On the anniversary of Bell's passing, Hardy reflected on the kind of person the former fire chief was.
"He was always—no matter whether it was Christmas, middle of the night, snowing, cold, little calls, big calls—he was always here," Hardy said.
Deputy Fire Chief Clyde Ross said he recalls the smell of propane as he thinks back to that tragic September day.
"The only thing I remember was a 'whoosh,' and next thing I was lying face down on the ground and my helmet rolling ahead of me onto the ground and just debris raining down on top of my head," Ross said.
Ross said he knew Bell since he was a child.
"A fine person to begin with and very civic-minded, a good firefighter, and I miss him every day," Ross said.
Around the Farmington Fire Station, you'll find reminders of Bell. His old locker adorns a familiar name, as it now belongs to his brother.
Deputy Fire Chief Tim Hardy, who is Fire Chief Tim "T.D." Hardy's dad, said being a firefighter is a dangerous job.
"We pray every day that when the public safety folks have an incident, everybody goes home," Deputy Fire Chief Hardy said. "But you know, this is one of those tragic events that everybody didn't go home. We lost one of our own that day."
He added that Bell was someone you could count on, and his presence is dearly missed.
"Mike was a very dedicated firefighter. Whenever the tone went off, if he was available, he would show up no matter what time of day and night," Deputy Fire Chief Hardy said.
Outside the Farmington Fire Station stands a tribute to Capt. Michael Bell.
Just a few minutes down the road is another tribute, placed across the street from where LEAP Incorporated was.
The state fire marshal's office found during their investigation that a crew of workers who were drilling posts into the ground next to the LEAP Inc. building accidentally severed a propane line, which caused gas to build up in the basement over the next couple of days.
The explosion led to multiple lawsuits and spurred the Legislature to pass a law that added liquified propane gas lines to Maine's Dig Safe law.