Explosion in Detroit, Maine Sends Three Men to the Hospital

Three men were injured Tuesday in the explosion at Northeast Agricultural Sales in Detroit, Maine. Their names have been released by the State Fire Marshal's Office.

62-year-old Anthony Towers from Newport is being treated for extensive burns at Maine Medical Center in Portland. 50-year-old Lee Gustin of Cambridge and 36-year-old Clarence Rider from Pittsfield were treated at Sabasticook Hospital in Pittsfield after they complained of respiratory issues, said authorities. Towers was taken to Portland in a Lifeflight helicopter.

Public Safety Spokesmen, Stephen McCausland said, Towers and Rider were working on top of an empty 86 foot tall silo used to store sulfur. A spark set off the explosion as Towers was cleaning out dust and sulfur from the silo with a shovel. Towers' clothing caught fire, and Rider extinguished the fire on his clothing. Both men used a ladder to climb to the ground where Gustin, who was on the ground, assisted them. Investigators are looking into what caused the spark.