Please thank firefighters in your town, TODAY

As many of you know, there was a fire in Sanford on Friday that caught the attention of the entire New England region. In fact, “fire” is probably the wrong word. “Conflagration” is far more apt.

As is being reported today, the blaze was the work of three arsonists. If you watch this drone footage of the blaze, you can see for yourself how mammoth the challenge of fighting this fire was. Just a few years ago, Northland re-developed the Sanford Mill. The project won a Phoenix Award for mill rehab, and today it is a beehive of activity in that City’s downtown. It is on Washington Street, just a stone’s throw from the mill fire that took place on River Street.

This fire very easily could have spread. But the professional career firefighters of the Sanford Fire Department made sure that it did not. They kept it in check, and thankfully nobody was injured. We would like to recognize the courage of every member of the Department, and express our heartfelt appreciation for all that you do on behalf of Sanford residents. Many properties and lives were at risk. This could have been much, much worse but it was not — and Northland would like to express its gratitude. We are quite sure that we are not alone in sharing these sentiments.