Gorham Fire Chief Robert Lefebvre returned to work full time Monday, less than a month since slashing his leg with a chain saw.

“It feels real good to be back,” Lefebvre said.

Lefebvre, 56, was cutting debris around 8 a.m. at the Gorham Country Club on July 23, helping clear the golf course after the July 19 storms rumbled through the town.

The chain saw he was using caught a standing snag while he was kneeling on his left knee, forcing the tool to kick back and slicing his right shin. The cut also chipped bone.

After the injury, an ambulance drove Lefebvre to Maine Medical Center, where doctors spent an hour removing bone chips from his shin, and cleaning and sewing the wound.

The injury forced Lefebvre to take some “unwanted” time off.

“The first two weeks I did very, very little other than sit on my can,” he said. “That was definitely the worst part of all of this. Well that, and not being able to play golf.”

Lefebvre started working part time at the beginning of August, handling what he could.

He flew to Denver the week of Aug. 11 to attend the International Fire Chiefs Convention, for which he had signed up in May.

While there, he had to take some breaks to give his leg time to rest from swelling, but was pleased with his progress and his doctors cleared him to return full time.

“Overall, for what I had for an injury, it was tolerable and I consider myself lucky to be back by now.”

Lefebvre’s return in just four weeks didn’t surprise Acting Deputy Chief Ken Fickett, who filled the chief duties while Lefebvre was out.

“I’m surprised with how quick he’s back, but I’m also not surprised,” Fickett said. “He never likes to sit down for a long time. He’s always going.”

Lefebvre said he wanted to thank the “many” residents who supported him and wished him a quick and healthy return.

“It really made the boring times sitting on my can as enjoyable as it could be,” he said. “I work for a great town and I have a great staff. I didn’t worry while I was out.”

Lefebvre also said he learned a lesson from this experience.

“I should’ve been wearing chaps,” he said. “If I had been wearing chaps, none of this would have happened.”

Lefebvre returns to full-time duty