The explosion happened during a fire response at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont, a rural Waldo County town.
SEARSMONT, ME — A firefighter was killed and at least 11 people were injured Friday when a silo exploded during a major fire at Robbins Lumber, state officials said, drawing emergency crews from across Waldo County to the rural sawmill.
The blast turned a mill fire into a mass casualty response and sent patients to hospitals across Maine. Officials said firefighters had arrived to fight a fire in a silo at the lumber business when the explosion occurred. The firefighter’s name had not been released Friday evening as authorities worked to notify family members and confirm the identity through the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta.
The first call for help came shortly after 10 a.m. at Robbins Lumber on Main Street South, where crews found fire at the sawmill, officials said. Public Information Officer Shannon Moss said firefighters were attacking the silo fire when it exploded. One firefighter was later found dead at the scene. “Because of the complexity of the scene, the investigation is expected to take some time,” Moss said. Firefighters continued suppression work into the afternoon even after officials said the fire had been contained. Witnesses and local news crews reported hearing additional explosions after the first blast, and emergency radio traffic reflected a fast-moving response that pulled in fire, medical and law enforcement crews from a wide area.
Hospitals reported treating the injured through Friday afternoon and evening. MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland said it was treating 10 patients hurt in the Searsmont incident, including patients first taken to Pen Bay Hospital, Waldo Hospital and MaineGeneral Hospital. Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor said it cared for one patient in critical condition who was later transferred to another facility. Officials did not immediately release the names of the injured or a full breakdown of their conditions. Authorities also had not said Friday night whether the injured included mill workers, firefighters, civilians or some combination of them. Robbins Lumber co-owner Catherine Robbins-Halsted said employees were accounted for. Fire officials said multiple fire trucks were damaged or lost in the fire.
Robbins Lumber is a long-running family business in Searsmont, a town of about 1,500 people in Maine’s midcoast region. The company describes itself as a high-tech lumber manufacturer with roots dating to 1881 and five generations of family ownership. Its mill is part of Maine’s forest products economy, a sector tied to logging, trucking, sawmills and wood buyers across the state. The Maine Forest Products Council has said the industry contributed more than $8 billion to the state economy in 2024 and supports about 29,000 jobs. Christian Halsted, a family spokesperson and co-owner, called the fire a hugely devastating day for the family and said the mill would not be operating in the near future while the company cooperates with investigators.
The Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office is leading the investigation into the cause and origin of the fire and explosion. State police, Maine forest rangers, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration were among the agencies listed as assisting. The firefighter’s body was set to be taken to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy and positive identification. Officials said more information about the injured would be released when appropriate. No cause had been announced Friday night, and authorities did not give a timeline for when investigators might complete their work at the mill.
Gov. Janet Mills visited Searsmont after the explosion and said she thanked first responders at the scene. Mills said Robbins Lumber had been a cornerstone of the community and a mainstay of Maine’s forest products industry for five generations. “I told the Robbins family that Maine people will have their back as they face the challenge ahead,” Mills said. Members of Maine’s congressional delegation also issued statements, including Sen. Susan Collins, who called Robbins Lumber a piece of Maine history, and Sen. Angus King, who said he had visited the mill often. The Red Cross of Northern New England said 10 trained disaster responders were at the scene to support firefighters and other first responders.
By Friday evening, officials said the fire was contained but suppression and investigation work continued at the sawmill. The next major updates were expected from state fire investigators after family notifications, medical reports and scene processing advanced.
Author note: Last updated May 15, 2026.