A severe propane leak at the Meadow Mall complex (also known as the Small Mall locally) on Route 27 in Boothbay Harbor prompted a massive emergency response, widespread evacuations, and a highly choreographed tactical operation on Friday afternoon to prevent a catastrophic explosion.

The official cause of the propane leak is under further investigation and there were no reported injuries.  

At approximately 3:30 p.m., the Boothbay Harbor Fire Department was dispatched by Lincoln County Communications following reports of a strong smell of propane at the Meadow Mall, located opposite the Hannaford supermarket. First responders making initial forays toward the five, 1,000-gallon tanks recorded extremely high atmospheric readings of propane. The source was quickly identified as coming from one of the five large tanks situated on the property.

Recognizing the immediate extreme danger, fire officials ordered the evacuation of the area stretching from the Hannaford supermarket to the YMCA and surrounding areas.

Civilians were also swiftly evacuated by Boothbay Harbor Police and Fire from all stores within the Meadow Mall, Hannaford, Hawke Motors, the Irving gas station, Walgreens, and the Flagship Inn. To reduce potential ignition sources, Central Maine Power (CMP) was called in to cut all electricity to the immediate area, affecting over 100 residences and 20 businesses.

Simultaneously, first responders secured the perimeter, restricting access in the Meadow Mall area strictly to firefighters and closing Route 27 entirely at the Boothbay roundabout and associated roads leading into the area, securing an approximately 2-mile safety zone.

Emergency Management and Fire Command were established at the YMCA parking lot, a safe distance from the hot zone. The Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency (EMA)—the lead local organization responsible for disaster planning, response, and recovery—was immediately brought in to assist and initiated a county-wide cellular emergency tone, alerting people with cellular phones and other devices within a two-mile radius of the event for the need to immediately evacuate the area.

To secure a large, uninterrupted water supply, fire crews stretched 4-inch large diameter hose (LDH) from the fire hydrant at Hannaford, across Route 27, and directly into Boothbay Harbor’s Engine 3 which was located at the Meadow Mall.

The situation posed a severe threat due to the physical properties of the gas. Unlike natural gas, propane is heavier than air. Instead of safely dissipating upward, it settles close to the ground, creeping into low-lying areas and pooling in parking lots. This pooling effect creates a dense, highly volatile vapor cloud that can easily ignite if it finds a spark.

Facing rapidly spreading propane, Fire Command initiated a complex and meticulously choreographed operation. Command at the scene, led by Boothbay Harbor Fire Captain Nick Greenleaf, briefed firefighters on the strict order of operations and the critical safety protocols required for the approach to the propane tanks.

A specialized team of eight firefighters were assembled for the high-risk task of securing the leaking tanks and establishing a continuous water stream to safely disperse the gas. The team consisted of Captain Nick Greenleaf, Lt. Jesse Peters, Lt. Sawyer Alley, Firefighter Davian McInnis, Firefighter Hunter Arsenault from Boothbay Harbor Fire, alongside firefighter Mark Sullivan, firefighter Luke Morley, and firefighter David Washburn from the Boothbay Fire Department.

Because even the smallest static discharge could trigger an explosion in the saturated environment, firefighters stripped themselves of all electronic devices—watches, cell phones, radios, and standard flashlights. Dressed in full protective turnout gear and utilizing self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), the team slowly and methodically advanced toward the tanks.

Monitoring the air for explosive concentrations every step of the way, the firefighters stretched over 300 feet of hose into the hot zone. Once in position, they utilized a specific hose stream technique, spraying continuous, high-volume streams of water directly over the tanks. This action created a vacuum pressure that safely sucked the pooled propane vapor away from the commercial structures, pushing it out into the surrounding woods to safely dissipate.

Captain Greenleaf noted “This was an extremely volatile and dangerous situation, involving up to 4,000 gallons of propane. Safely securing the scene and evacuating people from the immediate area was our primary focus initially, as well as concurrently launching operations to secure the leak and stabilize the situation. We had a great team of firefighters to execute the mission, supported by multiple local and state agencies who all worked hand in hand as one team. Fortunately, it all came to together and we were able to safely secure the scene and prevent a much more serious situation from occurring”

Boothbay Harbor Fire Chief Glenn Tilton said “I can’t emphasize it enough of how impressed I am with my crew on how they handled the situation. Everything happened so quickly and they handled it with the utmost care and professionalism. They worked extremely well together and were able to pull this all together as a team. The outcome couldn’t have been any better”

The successful mitigation of the crisis was the result of a large, seamlessly coordinated response across multiple municipal and state agencies. The operation was supported by the Boothbay Harbor and Boothbay fire departments, the Boothbay Region Ambulance Service which provided on scene medical support to firefighters, Boothbay Harbor Police, Lincoln County Sheriff's Office, Lincoln County EMA, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Central Maine Power, and the Boothbay Region Fire Auxiliary which provided food and water to firefighters and first responders.

Over 65 first responders and support personnel responded to the event, and fire apparatus deployed included Boothbay Harbor’s Engine 3, Engine 5 and the Ladder truck, as well as Boothbay Fire’s Engine 2, Utility 2 and Rescue, which was used to support air bottle refill and resupply at the scene. Several units and support vehicles from Lincoln Country Emergency Management were also deployed to the scene.

Having successfully stabilized the event and dispersed the vapor threat, fire officials reopened Route 27 at approximately 8:15 p.m. and cleared CMP to restore power to the surrounding residences and commercial structures. The Meadow Mall itself remained closed and cordoned off while specialized propane technicians worked to safely secure and fully drain the compromised tanks, an operation that took until 12:30 a.m.

Fire, Police and EMA officials would like to thank the public for their cooperation and support during this multi hour event, given the significant impacts due to the road closures, power loss and other associated impacts.