UPDATED (7:15 p.m. ET):
WMTM reported that according to the Maine Department of Public Safety and the Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office, one firefighter was killed in an explosion while trying to extinguish the fire.
EARLIER:
By Patrick Whittle
Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine — A large fire and explosion at a lumber mill in Maine’s midcoast region injured at least 11 people Friday.
Flames tore through Robbins Lumber in Searsmont, a town of about 1,500 people about 95 miles (153 kilometers) from Portland, authorities said.
“There’s been a huge explosion. The silo just exploded. Multiple firefighters injured,” a first responder said, according to scanner traffic from Kennebec, Somerset and Waldo County fire departments recorded by Broadcastify.com.
MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, which has a Level 1 trauma designation, was waiting for 10 patients who had been treated at local hospitals to be transferred, a spokesperson said. Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center was treating one patient who was in critical condition, a spokesperson for the Bangor hospital said.
Authorities said they are investigating the cause of the blast. They said they expect it to be a long and time-consuming investigation into what caused the silo explosion.
“We have not even really begun a scene examination, so we do not have a cause, and may not have one for some time. We have a tremendous amount of work to do,” Maine fire marshal Shawn Esler said.
Maine State Police and fire marshals responded to the fire, state police spokesperson Shannon Moss said. Local emergency responders also came to the scene, which was still active late Friday afternoon, hours after the fire began.
“We have dumped all of the resources from the whole county over to that area,” Waldo County 911 director Mike Larrivee said.
Robbins Lumber’s website states that it has been a family-owned firm for five generations and has been in existence since 1881. The website describes the company as a “a high-tech lumber manufacturer.”
The fire represents a “hugely devastating day for the family” and the mill will not be operating in the near term, said Christian Halsted, speaking on behalf of the family. He said the family is cooperating with authorities on the investigation.
Lumber and wood products are a critical and historic industry in Maine, especially in rural parts of the state. The Maine Forest Products Council said the industry contributed more than $8 billion to the state’s economy in 2024 and provides about 29,000 jobs.
Public officials including Gov. Janet Mills said Friday that they were monitoring the response to the blaze.
“I urge folks to stay clear of the area, follow the instructions of law enforcement, and allow emergency personnel to respond. I ask Maine people to join me in keeping all those affected in their thoughts,” Mills posted on X.
