An explosion and large fire at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont killed a Morrill firefighter and injured at least 10 people, including firefighters and civilians, authorities said, and drew a massive emergency response Friday.
Officials on Saturday said firefighter Andrew Cross, 27, was killed in the explosion.
Eight patients remained at Maine Medical Center in Portland on Sunday, according to MaineHealth spokesperson Caroline Cornish. Two are at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Both patients are in critical condition, according to a spokesperson for Mass General.
Sen. Susan Collins shared condolences on social media for those who knew Andrew Cross. She also wrote that one of her staff members had known Cross since childhood and described him as a “kindhearted, hardworking Maine man.”
Multiple firefighters suffered significant burns after their equipment caught on fire after a silo exploded at the mill, according to officials at the Kennebunk Fire Department. Civilians were also injured, according to the Thorndike Fire Department. Huge plumes of smoke were visible for miles around the Waldo County town.
Fire investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives National Response Team and the State Fire Marshal’s Office “will conduct a joint scene examination focused on determining the origin and cause of the fire and subsequent explosion,” according to a news release from state officials on Sunday.
Read our live updates below.
One firefighter was killed in the incident on Friday and 10 other people were injured, authorities have said.
According to the State Fire Marshal’s office, at its request, special agents from the ATF’s national response team arrived with specialized personnel and resources, including forensic scientists, electrical engineers and computer modeling experts.
According to the news release, authorities expect operations at the scene continue throughout the week.
“We owe the people of Maine a thorough, professional, and methodical investigation,” the news release stated.
It added: “The impact of this emergency will be felt for years to come.”
Rep. Jared Golden. wrote that Cross was a “hero.”
“There is no braver man than one who runs toward the danger to protect others,” he shared on social media.
Golden also wrote that he is mindful of the wider financial impact of the fire at the lumber mill on the Midcoast region, saying his office is ready to support the community.
“The damage to the facility is loss not only to their family business, but to the families of the dozens of people who work there,” his statement said.
Maine gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson also shared condolences.
“First responders show up for Mainers in our darkest moments, often running towards danger while the rest of us seek safety,” wrote Jackson on social media.
“Maine will not forget your courage,” he wrote.
Sen. Susan Collins shared condolences on social media on Saturday.
“My heart goes out to his family, his friends, and the Morrill Volunteer Fire Department, where he served,” Collins said in a post on Facebook. She said his life was an example of courage, bravery and selfless love of others.
Katherine and Paul Paige, who have been together for 29 years and live in Belmont, have both served as firefighters with the town’s fire department for about a decade, Paul Paige said. He said they also volunteer at the neighboring Northport Fire Department, where Paul Paige has served for over 30 years and Katherine Paige for about 15.
Over his three decades as a firefighter, Paul Paige said he has not experienced anything close to the incident on Friday in Searsmont.
“In a small community like ours, you don’t see that kind of thing,” he said.
“You can’t prepare for something like that,” he said. “You can train all you want, but when it comes to something like that, it’s a nightmare.”
He said he’s been receiving an outpouring of supportive messages from the community over the past several days.
“I’ve been slowly responding, but I’m still pretty beside myself,” he said.
Two injured in explosion in critical condition at Boston hospital
Two people injured in the fire at Robbins Lumber on Friday are at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Both patients are in critical condition, according to a spokesperson for Mass General.
Eight patients from the Searsmont incident remained at Maine Medical Center in Portland on Sunday, according to MaineHealth spokesperson Caroline Cornish.
She said his life was an example of courage, bravery and selfless love of others.
“Our first responders give more than we could ever repay to help keep us and our loved ones safe, and it is incumbent on us to honor their sacrifices,” she wrote.
Collins also wrote that one of her staff members had known Cross since childhood and described him as a “kindhearted, hardworking Maine man” who loved his community, his family and his dog. He was the kind of person who was always smiling, Collins said her staffer remembered.
Aftermath at Robbins Lumber
There was activity at Robbins Lumber on Saturday, as firefighters continued to address the smoldering remains of Friday’s fire.
According to WMTW, Katherine Paige, a firefighter for the Belmont Fire Department, was taken to Maine Medical Center in Portland and put in a medically induced coma while being treated for severe burns to her hands and face. The station reported that her husband said she has a “long recovery ahead.”
An unnamed 20-year-old firefighter from the Lincolnville Fire Department was also injured in the Searsmont incident, the station reported. He was being treated at Maine Medical Center, his parent told the outlet.
Officials with the Montville, Appleton, Belmont and Lincolnville fire departments could not be immediately reached on Saturday.
The crowd raised their hands to their brows as dozens of firetrucks, police cruisers and first responders slowly and silently rolled by.
Many who had gathered there were volunteer firefighters from Morrill and surrounding communities. Some broke down in tears as the hearse passed by the department.
“It’s been an incredible show of support,” said Morrill firefighter Tom Fish. “All the local towns, all the fire departments, were there for the procession last night and they’re here for it today.”
“It’s community,” he added. “It’s a strong community.”
There was ongoing activity at the lumber yard on Saturday, as firefighters continued to address the smoldering remains of Friday’s fire.
The air, though now clear of smoke plumes, was thick with the smell of burning wood.
As soon as he heard a first responder shout the word “Explosion!” Pease said he sprang into action and drove up to the mill to help.
“I knew things were going to go to hell,” Pease said. “I knew I needed to help.”
About 200 firefighters from more than two dozen departments across the state responded to the call, Pease said. Most of them were volunteers.
“They say volunteers and full-time firefighters are different. But we receive the same training,” he said. “And you couldn’t tell the difference yesterday. It was a well-oiled machine.”
“He was a good, bright young man,” Pease said behind teary eyes. “He’d do anything for anybody.”
All of Waldo County’s firefighters are volunteers. It’s often difficult to wrangle crews together when fires break out mid-day, Pease said. Most volunteers have day jobs.
“But he went right up there,” Pease said. “He didn’t think twice.”
Tom Fish began volunteering with Morrill’s fire department around the same time Cross did. When the department acquired a new tanker truck from a fire department on Long Island, the two made the drive all the way down and all the way back to bring it to Morrill.
“He was always smiling. Just a wicked happy guy,” Fish said.
The white tanker truck they’d brought to Morrill sat in the back of the station as Cross’ procession drove by.
A flag flew at half staff outside of the Morill volunteer fire station on Saturday while about 50 people gathered for the procession taking Cross from the state medical examiner’s office to a funeral home in Belfast.
Ray’s father, Sam Ray, said he was one of the firefighters at the scene on Friday at Robbins Lumber. He watched the procession Saturday with a somber expression.
Cassandra Horton, of Liberty, said she works at a local hospital, and was involved in the aftermath of the explosion.
“I think it’s just important to show our young that we support our community,” she said.
The procession is scheduled to pass along the highway in about half an hour.
It was gray and rainy on Friday, when firefighters responded to the blaze at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont. It’s 70 degrees today, with mostly clear skies.
The transfer is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.
“Our deepest sympathies, thoughts, and prayers are with the firefighter’s family, loved ones, and colleagues during this devastating time,” State Fire Marshal Shawn Esler said in the news release.
The procession, which will start at the Medical Examiner’s Office in Augusta, will pass by the fire station and the town offices on its way to Riposta Funeral Home in Belfast.
As the unidentified firefighter’s remains were taken to the medical examiner’s office, first responders including firefighters from departments across the state, Maine State Police, Forest Rangers, and other law enforcement agencies lined the driveway.
“I told the Robbins family that Maine people will have their back as they face the challenge ahead,” Mills said. “I ask Maine people to keep the Robbins family, their employees, first responders, and the people of Searsmont and Waldo County in their thoughts and prayers.”
The Office of Chief Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy on the deceased firefighter and confirm their identity.
Asked how many additional injuries had occurred, the man responds: “We have 10 to 12 more. A lot of people with third-degree. Explosion! Multiple fire trucks are burning.”
The man, whose voice was rushed and distressed, went quiet as other responders told dispatchers they were headed to the scene.
The fire and explosion in Waldo County sent ripple effects beyond state lines as well. Fire departments from surrounding states, including Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York, also chimed in with words of support on social media.
“The fire service is one family, and when one department hurts, we all feel it,” the Orleans, Vermont Fire Department stated. “We stand with our brothers and sisters in Maine during this incredibly difficult time and extend our deepest condolences to everyone affected.”
The Central Valley Fire Fighters Association, representing numerous fire departments in New Brunswick, Canada, also shared their condolences to those impacted on Friday.
“Firefighters and emergency crews put everything on the line for us, and today is a painful reminder of the sacrifices they make,” Pingree said. “I’m grateful to the medical teams, mutual aid departments, and volunteers supporting the response and recovery efforts.”
Maine Forest Rangers, State Fire Marshal’s Office, Maine State Police, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, ATF and OSHA also assisted, Moss said.
American Red Cross lends support on scene
American Red Cross Northern New England said in a Facebook post that its disaster action team has mobilized in response to the Searsmont fire following a request for assistance. The organization said 10 trained disaster responders were on the scene.
“The Red Cross is serving in a support capacity, ensuring firefighters and first responders have what they need to continue fighting the fire,” the post stated. “We are providing water, snacks and comfort items like blankets and cots. The Red Cross is in close communication with local emergency management — and we stand ready to assist the community. Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this fire and to the brave first responders on the scene.”
Flames continue subsiding
The plume of smoke rising from Robbins Lumber continues to shrink as firefighters battle the blaze. What was once a thick column of black smoke is now smaller, grayer, and mostly transparent.
Large flames that were visible through the woods surrounding the mill appeared mostly knocked down by 5:15 p.m. as fire trucks continued streaming up and down the roads surrounding the mill with their lights and sirens blazing.
Smoke plume shrinking again, but flames still visible
SEARSMONT — The plume of smoke coming from Robbins Lumber began to shrink again around 4:30 p.m., with little black smoke visible. But large flames could still be seen through the trees from where a reporter was perched.
“They’re a really well-run company,” he said. “They’ve been a part of Midcoast Maine’s forest industry since forever.”
Robbins Lumber is one of the biggest white pine mills in the country and, according to a 2024 MaineBiz story, employs about 225 people. In 2011, the governor’s office heralded the Robbinses for their forest stewardship, awarding them a Maine Department of Conservation award. The department’s commissioner called them “an iconic Maine family.”
In 2024, another fire at the company’s facility took place in a control room for the kilns, according to multiple news reports. It was contained and didn’t result in any injuries. The PenBay Pilot reported that the Searsport Fire Department had a roster of 14 volunteers, many of whom were out in the woods hunting when the call came in and returned to Robbins Lumber to respond.
Robbins Lumber has had one workplace safety incident investigated by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration in the past decade. It happened in 2025, and the company was fined $5,427. The details of the incident are not immediately clear, but according to OSHA records, it appeared to involve a lack of regular inspections of procedures in the planer facility.
Victim treated in Bangor being transferred, spokesperson says
A victim of the Searsmont incident who was taken to Bangor’s Eastern Maine Medical Center in critical condition Friday has been transferred to another facility, spokesperson Chris Facchini said in a written statement.
Facchini did not say where the victim was taken or what their condition was, but he said the hospital does not anticipate receiving any more patients from Searsmont.
“This is obviously a hugely devastating day for the family,” he said. “We feel for the first responders, family, the employees.”
The fire was first reported at 10:05 a.m., Esler said. Most of the firefighters responding were volunteers from across Waldo County.
Michael Sauschuck, director of the state’s Department of Public Safety, confirmed that several first responders were injured in the fire. Sauschuck did not confirm how many people were hurt or what their conditions are; he said it was too early for officials to share details or take questions.
Sauschuck said it had been a “very traumatic afternoon.”
Friday’s rain helped contain the risk of the fire spreading into the area forests and limited the plume’s impact on local air quality, Palmer said. The weather is already changing in Searsmont, however, with Saturday’s forecast featuring dry weather and as much as 15 degrees warmer.
“The rain was definitely a good thing — while it lasted,” Palmer said.
Patients being taken to Maine’s only comprehensive burn care facility
Maine Medical Center in Portland is the only comprehensive burn care facility in Maine and northern New Hampshire. At least 10 victims of the explosion were being transported to the hospital, a spokesperson said earlier Friday.
Quiet outside Pen Bay Hospital
ROCKPORT — As of 3:20 p.m., activity had quieted outside Pen Bay Hospital’s emergency wing, where several patients were treated in the immediate aftermath of the explosion.
Those patients are now being transported to Maine Medical Center in Portland.
“My heart goes out to them, their employees, and the first responders who have come from all over the region to help in the emergency response,” Collins said. “This is a very sad crisis, and all those affected are in my prayers.”
Smoke thickening, changing color; more explosions have been heard
SEARSMONT — After having slowed somewhat earlier in the afternoon, the plume of smoke billowing from the scene Friday was thickening and had gotten lighter by about 3:15 p.m.
Several ladder trucks were spraying the flames. A photographer on scene said he had heard several more explosions since arriving.
Liberty Fire Department asks for prayers
“Please just pray!!!!” the Liberty Fire & Rescue Department posted to Facebook on Friday, sharing a photo of the massive plume of black smoke.
“A lot of us have friends and family (at the mill),” said Ashley Cook, who came with a pickup truck filled with bottled water. “And if we don’t, we all know someone who is.”
Smoke plume shrinking
SEARSMONT — The thick black column of smoke rising from the mill was visibly much smaller by just after 2 p.m. than it did an hour prior.
Even through the ceiling of gray storm clouds, the smoke had been visible from miles away around noontime.
“Multiple maydays have been called, and units from across the state are either responding or already on scene assisting with operations,” the department said.
They encouraged locals to stay clear of the area and surrounding roadways to allow emergency personnel to work efficiently.
Anyone in need of support is encouraged to contact Assistant Superintendent Jessica Giorgetti at 207-338-1960 or [email protected].
1 person treated for burns at Augusta hospital, then transferred
MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta “has received one patient with burns who was treated and transferred to a higher level of care. We do not expect any more patients related to this incident,” said hospital spokesperson Joy McKenna.
McKenna confirmed that the patient was transferred to another hospital but declined to say which, citing federal confidentiality laws.
A handful of Waldo County sheriff’s deputies and volunteer firefighters bought pizzas from the store to deliver to first responders at the scene, Boyington said.
Some of those who came to make donations hung around in the store’s parking lot to watch the stream of fire trucks whizzing up and down Main Street.
“It’s just awful,” Searsmont resident Winston Durkee said from in front of the store. “(The mill) is such a huge part of this community. We all want to support them however we can.”
1 in critical condition at Bangor hospital, spokesperson says
Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor is reporting one patient in critical condition from the Searsmont incident, according to hospital spokesperson Chris Facchini.
A fire chaplain can be requested by calling 207-329-2273 or sending a message to [email protected].
“It’s a big part of this community,” she said. “We saw all the smoke and immediately knew this was bad.”
Report: Silo filled with wood shavings exploded, hurting multiple people
According to the Midcoast Villager, people on scene reported that a silo filled with wood shavings exploded after 11 a.m., leaving multiple people with injuries. It wasn’t clear how many people might be hurt.
Local authorities have not confirmed any information about the fire.
Firefighters refill at Bartlett Stream
SEARSMONT — About a half-dozen fire trucks are filling their tanks with water from Bartlett Stream near the town center. They’re driving down from the mill and heading back to the scene as soon as they’re topped off.
“There’s some water (at the mill), but it’s such a large response that it’s not enough to support all the firefighting efforts,” Prospect firefighter Mike Drinkwater said from beside his truck.
Smith has been standing in his truck bed for an hour and a half, and the flames have not died down, he said.
“It’s really not good,” Smith said.
In 2017, the offices of the lumber mill were used as a Senate hearing room as King ran an Energy Committee field hearing on how rural industries could be strengthened by energy technology developments.
At the time, the Robbins family was in the process of installing a $36 million, 8.5 megawatt combined heat and power unit. King said at the time that the project was a model for rural industries attempting to lower power costs.
The department said it would not be issuing burn permits Friday or Saturday as a result of its help with the response.
Steam heated up to 900 degrees Fahrenheit is used to drive a turbine, according to the Robbins website. A portion of the steam is removed and used to dry lumber. Additionally, in the winter months, steam is used to heat the buildings throughout the Searsmont campus.
“I ask locals to follow law enforcement instructions, and to look to official channels and trusted sources for more information as it becomes available,” he said.
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, asked people to keep the Searsmont community and first responders in their thoughts.
Smoke visible for miles around
The thick black plume of smoke from the fire was visible from miles away early Friday afternoon, even through the low gray clouds lingering in the air.
Rain had been falling heavily but has now slowed to a drizzle.
Large stretch of State Route 131 closed in Searsmont
SEARSMONT — Maine State Police have blocked off State Route 131 between Appleton Ridge Road and Camden Road while crews fight the fire nearby.
Heavy black smoke could be seen rising from the site, located just south of the heart of the village, just before 1 p.m.
Augusta emergency crews on the way
Augusta fire Chief Dave Groder confirmed that emergency crews from the city arrived in Searsmont to find multiple ambulances and one patient who was already being treated for injuries at the scene.
He said the Augusta Fire Department sent one ambulance and one command vehicle to the fire.
Video shows helicopter over scene
A video shared with the Press Herald by Tiffany Mannarini, who lives in Appleton, showed a helicopter over the scene as flames and smoke rose over the smoldering lumber yard.
Witnesses said they saw two helicopters briefly land and take off near the fire. Flight radar indicated the helicopters were owned by LifeFlight of Maine.
Road closed in Appleton south of incident
APPLETON — State Route 131 northbound is closed at its intersection with State Route 105, with a state trooper directing traffic.
Lumber company was site of 2024 fire where no one was hurt
No one was hurt in a November 2024 fire at Robbins Lumber; firefighters contained it to a control room, according to multiple media reports.
Shortly after noontime Friday, no one could be seen at the boat landing, where an unattended vehicle with EMS plates was parked alongside two other vehicles.
Department of Public Safety confirms fire
Investigators from the state fire marshal’s office and rangers from the Maine Forest Service are responding to the lumber mill, Maine Department of Public Safety Spokesperson Shannon Moss said.
She declined to release more information until investigators arrive at the scene.
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