A massive fire and explosion at the Robbins Lumber mill in Searsmont, Maine, claimed the life of a 27-year-old volunteer firefighter on Friday, state officials said. Andrew Cross, a member of the Morrill Volunteer Fire Department, died at the scene, and at least 11 other people were injured in the incident that drew a response from roughly two dozen fire departments across the midcoast region.
On Saturday, a stream of firetrucks, police cars and other emergency vehicles traveled 46 miles from Augusta to Belfast to escort Cross’s body to a funeral home. The procession passed through Morrill, a town of fewer than 1,000 residents, where a memorial of flowers was placed outside the volunteer fire department. Dozens of first responders and community members lined the route to salute and honor the fallen firefighter.
“He was a good, bright young man,” said Jethro Pease, the former Morrill fire chief who was leading the department when Cross joined. “He’d do anything for anybody.”
The state fire marshal’s office is investigating the cause of the fire, which tore through a silo at the mill. Robbins Lumber, a company that traces its roots to 1881 and remains family-owned after five generations, is cooperating with authorities. Christian Halsted, a family spokesperson, said Friday that it was “a hugely devastating day for the family” and that the mill would cease operations while the investigation proceeds.
MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, a Level 1 trauma center, said Saturday that eight of the 10 patients brought there were still being treated; two had been transferred. A patient taken to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor in critical condition was also transferred to another facility.
The lumber and wood products industry is an economic pillar of Maine, contributing more than $8 billion to the state’s economy in 2024 and providing about 29,000 jobs, according to the Maine Forest Products Council. The Robbins mill in Searsmont, about 95 miles from Portland, is described as a “high-tech lumber manufacturer” on its website.