Updated May 15, 2026 / 7:50 PM EDT — A large fire and explosion at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont, Maine, killed one firefighter and injured at least 10 others on Friday, officials said. The blaze remained active late Friday afternoon.
State Department of Public Safety officials said firefighters were called to a fire in a silo at the Robbins Lumber mill around 10 a.m., about 95 miles from Portland. While crews were conducting suppression efforts, an explosion occurred and multiple people were hurt and transported to hospitals across the state, a department spokesperson said.
One firefighter was pronounced dead at the scene and will be taken to the medical examiner for identification and autopsy. Several other firefighters were reported in serious or critical condition. Commissioner Mike Sauschuck said he could not immediately provide a precise tally of the injured or details about where they were working.
MaineHealth’s Maine Medical Center in Portland, a Level 1 trauma center, said it was expecting 10 patients. The Thorndike Fire Department posted on social media that multiple firefighters and civilians were injured and that several fire trucks were lost to the fire.
Officials have not yet determined the cause of the fire. Robbins Lumber owner Catherine Robbins-Halsted said Friday that the company’s employees were accounted for.
Robbins Lumber is a family-owned business that opened in 1881 and manages roughly 30,000 acres of forestland. The company’s mill previously burned in 1957 and was rebuilt.
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins posted that the Robbins family is beloved in the community and expressed condolences to employees and first responders. Maine Gov. Janet Mills said she had been briefed on the incident and urged the public to stay away from the area, asking residents to keep those affected in their thoughts.
Emergency crews from across the region responded to the scene. Investigators will continue to work to secure the site and determine what caused the fire and subsequent explosion.