A grim brotherhood: Far-flung firefighters to hold reunion year after Quebec oil train blaze
Some of the Maine firefighters who helped their Canadian counterparts battle a deadly fire in Quebec are returning for the anniversary.
About 30 Maine firefighters responded to the call for help when a runaway oil train derailed and caused explosions in the town of 10,000. The blaze killed 47 people and destroyed much of the downtown.
A language barrier separated the English-speaking Maine firefighters from their French-speaking Canadian peers. But now they share a bond forged of the horror that struck in the wee hours of July 6, 2013.
Fire Chief Tim Pellerin in Rangeley, Maine, is among those returning for the anniversary. He says the brotherhood of firefighters "knows no bounds."