Overview
- the blaze, reported around 10:05 a.m. Friday at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont, escalated when a dust silo exploded about an hour later and officials declared a mass‑casualty response
- state officials identified the fallen firefighter as Andrew Cross, 27, of Morrill, and hospitals said Maine Medical Center was treating 10 patients while one person at Northern Light in Bangor was in critical condition
- initial accounts from a mill manager said flames started where wood shavings were bagged and then spread to a dust‑filled silo that blew up, though the exact cause remains under investigation
- more than two dozen mostly volunteer fire departments responded as some trucks were damaged by fire, the blaze was contained by Friday evening, and the mill remained offline
- wood dust can ignite and explode, and the long‑running mill has seen prior fires and a 2025 OSHA citation over equipment shut‑down inspections, so the multi‑agency review by ATF, OSHA, the state fire marshal and others could take time