Mill Fire Claims Another Life
Searsmont Assistant Fire Chief Dies Weeks After Injuries from Robbins Lumber Mill Fire
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Key Points
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Investigators reported the fire began at about 10:05 a.m. in an area of the Robbins Lumber yard where wood shavings were packed in plastic bags, before spreading to a silo filled with sawdust that exploded around 11 a.m. while firefighters were nearby.
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The May 15 incident injured at least 10 people, and included not only firefighters but also Searsmont Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel—two EMS members were among the injured.
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Robbins Lumber co-owners and a relative were still hospitalized as of May 29, with the Robbins family members described as being treated at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, according to a message posted on the company’s website.
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While officials said the State Fire Marshal’s Office determined the blaze was accidental, at least one report noted it was not yet clear whether Wayne Woodbury’s death was connected to his May 15 injuries.
Wayne Woodbury, the 76-year-old assistant fire chief of the Searsmont Fire Department, died Sunday at Maine Medical Center in Portland — roughly a month after he was badly hurt in the May 15 explosion and fire at Robbins Lumber. WBAL reported his death raises the disaster's toll to two lives, following the earlier death of Morrill volunteer firefighter Andrew Cross, 27, who was killed the day of the blast.
At least 12 people were injured in the May 15 incident, including eight first responders and two EMS workers. Three members of the Robbins family — the mill's co-owners and a relative — were still being treated at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston as recently as June 12, with two listed in critical condition, WXII12 reported.
How a Smoldering Fire Became a Deadly Blast
The fire started at 10:05 a.m. in an area where wood shavings were packed into plastic bags. Firefighters from nearly 24 departments arrived to knock it down. Then, just before 11 a.m., a silo filled with sawdust exploded. The blast lifted the silo off its concrete base and sent Searsmont Fire Chief James Ames flying 15 feet through the air, WDSU reported. Three fire trucks were destroyed.
Investigators from the Maine State Fire Marshal's Office and the federal ATF determined the fire was accidental. The silo's fire suppression system never triggered. The system's sensors sat near the top of the structure, but the fire started at the base — so heat never reached the sensors in time. That gap is now a key focus of the ongoing probe, according to KCRA.
Two Funerals, A Community Shattered by Loss
Andrew Cross, a 27-year-old Morrill volunteer, worked days as a machinist at Bath Iron Works. Hundreds attended his funeral on May 22. Now Woodbury — a decades-long veteran of the fire service — is also gone. The Thorndike Fire Department said his "commitment to protecting others exemplified the very best of the fire service." Maine Governor Janet Mills said Woodbury's "courage and selfless service will never be forgotten."
Captain Kevin Callahan of the Appleton Fire Department described the moment of the explosion as "the gates of hell opening up." The dual loss of a young firefighter and a veteran chief has left what the KETV described as a deep "void in the fire service community" in Searsmont, a small town where Robbins Lumber is the economic anchor.
Robbins Family Still Hospitalized as Mill Reopens
Robbins Lumber is a fifth-generation family business. Co-owners Jim Robbins and Alden Robbins, along with a relative named Lily Robbins, were all seriously burned. As of June 12, two remained in critical condition at Massachusetts General Hospital's burn unit in Boston. A message posted on the company's website described their ongoing treatment.
Despite the destruction, Robbins Lumber resumed operations at its Searsmont yard on May 26 — just 11 days after the blast. The exploded warehouse reportedly held 4 million board feet of pine, a major inventory loss that could disrupt the regional lumber supply for months, WBAL reported.
Investigation Ongoing Despite Accidental Ruling
The Maine State Fire Marshal's Office called the fire accidental, but officials say the investigation remains active. High winds in the days after the May 15 blast temporarily slowed the probe. It is also not yet confirmed that Woodbury's death was directly linked to his injuries from the explosion, WXII12 reported.
The "accidental" label does not close the door on findings of safety violations. The suppression system's failure to stop the blast may push state officials toward new rules on how sensors and suppression heads are placed inside industrial silos. The Fire Marshal's Office extended its condolences to Woodbury's family and the Searsmont Fire Department.
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