Third firefighter released from hospital after natural gas explosion, fire in Nashua

The third and final firefighter injured in a natural gas explosion at the Greater Nashua Mental Health building earlier this month has been released from the hospital. Friends, family members and fellow firefighters gathered to greet him as he was wheeled out after nearly two weeks of treatment.Steve Buxton, chief of the Nashua Fire Department, said the firefighter is expected to be out of work for an extended period but is anticipated to make a full recovery. The two other firefighters injured in the explosion are also continuing to recover. About 60 people were evacuated from the building on Amherst Street in Nashua after reports of a gas odor and a hissing sound. >> Download the free WMUR app to get updates on the go <<Cy Hebert, president of IAFF Local 789, said the gas leak, explosion and fire were a tough situation for everyone involved, but he is proud of how crews responded and said their training paid off. “As firefighters, we dedicate our lives to taking care of others. So when it comes to a moment like this, where we take care of our own and their families, there’s nothing that we take more serious,” Hebert said. “So, just a great day to see our own go home with their families, with smiles on their faces.”The cause of the gas leak remains under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.