One firefighter was killed and at least 10 people were injured in a fire and explosion at a Searsmont sawmill on Friday that drew a massive response from first responders on the Midcoast and beyond.
Emergency crews from throughout the region rushed to Robbins Lumber at 506 Main St. South, where a large plume of black smoke was visible for miles. Multiple firefighters were injured and their equipment caught fire when a silo exploded, according to social media posts from fire officials, including the Kennebunk Fire Department. Civilians were also injured, according to the Thorndike Fire Department.
One firefighter was found dead at the scene, Shannon Moss, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said in an update shortly after 6:30 p.m. Friday. Several others who were injured were in serious or critical condition, she said.
Maine Medical Center in Portland was treating 10 people who were injured in the fire and explosion, hospital spokesperson Caroline Cornish said in a statement. Four were initially treated at MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital in Rockport, another four at MaineHealth Waldo Hospital in Belfast, one at MaineGeneral Hospital in Augusta and one at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, she said.
Maine Medical Center in Portland is the state’s only Level 1 trauma center and has the only comprehensive burn care facility in Maine and northern New Hampshire.
Victims had also been treated at hospitals in Augusta and Bangor, spokespeople confirmed. Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor reported one patient in critical condition from the Searsmont incident, according to hospital spokesperson Chris Facchini.
‘A HUGE EXPLOSION’
The Searsmont Fire Department was dispatched around 10:05 a.m. for a report of a fire at the mill and their units were the first to respond. They encountered a fire in the mill’s silo and quickly requested mutual aid, officials say. The explosion occurred while firefighters were working to suppress the flames.
According to the Midcoast Villager, people on scene reported that a silo filled with wood shavings exploded sometime after 11 a.m.
A recording of dispatch communications from the scene, captured by Broadcastify, reflected the harrowing moments immediately after the explosion.
“There’s been a huge explosion. The silo just exploded,” an unidentified man at the scene calls over the radio. “Multiple firefighters injured and burning. We need more help here now — immediately! … This is very bad.”
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.
State officials would not confirm the number of injuries at a news conference Friday afternoon, noting they were still contacting impacted families.
Maine State Fire Marshal Shawn Esler described it as a “very chaotic scene” when responders first arrived, due to the “magnitude” of the incident and the “sheer number of buildings on fire.”
“We’re in Waldo County, made up of all volunteers,” he said. “What I saw was professional firefighting efforts.”
About 2 1/2 miles from the sawmill, fire trucks filled up at Bartlett Stream. Mike Drinkwater, a firefighter in Prospect, told a reporter that first responders were concerned about exceeding the use of the water sources available at the scene.
Mike Sauschuck, commissioner of the Maine Department of Public Safety, said the Office of the State Fire Marshal is leading the investigation. He said the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, state police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also on scene.
Twenty-five local fire departments responded to the scene, said Moss, the Department of Public Safety spokesperson.
Esler noted it may take “quite some time” to determine what started the blaze.
“We have not even really begun a scene examination,” Esler said during the news conference, where he and other officials said they were unable to take any questions.
By about 5 p.m., what was once a thick column of black smoke had become smaller, grayer and mostly transparent.
SEARSMONT IMPACT
One of the owners of the mill, Catherine Robbins-Halsted, told reporters in Searsmont that all employees were accounted for and declined to share further details about the fire.
“Buildings can be replaced, employees cannot,” Robbins-Halsted said.
Christian Halsted, another member of the co-owning family, said Robbins Lumber will be closed for at least the rest of the week as the fire is extinguished and investigated.
“This is obviously a hugely devastating day for the family,” he said. “We feel for the first responders, family, the employees.”
The plume of smoke coming from the sawmill fire showed up on radar, climbing at least 4,000 feet and stretching almost 20 miles from southern Waldo County toward Bath, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Jon Palmer.
Videos shared with the Portland Press Herald showed helicopters hovering over the smoldering sawmill. Flight radar information indicated that the helicopters are owned by LifeFlight of Maine.
Shortly after the blaze was reported, Searsmont’s Fraternity Village General Store began soliciting donations for victims and their families. Throughout the afternoon, people arrived in a line of cars with donations from up and down the Midcoast.
Tiffany Mannarini, who lives in Appleton, posted videos to social media showing a large plume of smoke rising from the area. She said in a Facebook message that she saw ash falling from the sky on parts of Appleton Ridge, where several people were parked watching the fire.
Gov. Janet Mills released a statement about “the situation unfolding in Searsmont,” urging residents to stay clear of the area and follow law enforcement instructions.
“I ask Maine people to join me in keeping all those affected in their thoughts,” she said in the statement.
Mills was scheduled to visit the mill Friday evening, Moss said.
U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said in a social media post that he has visited the Robbins Lumber mill frequently.
“My heart goes out to Jim Robbins and his family, the workers and the Searsmont community,” he said.
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, sent her condolences to those impacted by the incident Friday afternoon. The senator said she has known the Robbins family “for many years.”
“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.”
Soon after the explosion was reported, U.S. Rep. Jared Golden, D-2nd District, said he was “praying for the safety and well-being of first responders and everyone else on site.”
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-1st District, said she was “heartbroken” by the news of one firefighter’s death Friday evening.
“Firefighters and emergency crews put everything on the line for us, and today is a painful reminder of the sacrifices they make,” she said. “I’m grateful to the medical teams, mutual aid departments, and volunteers supporting the response and recovery efforts.”
About 100 people lined up Friday evening in Augusta to salute the remains of the firefighter who was killed.
There were more than 50 vehicles in a procession with the hearse. Augusta Fire Department’s Tower One truck held up a large American flag.
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.
Staff Writers Gillian Graham, Ethan Horton and Penelope Overton contributed to this story.
