Maine & Federal Officials Continue Investigating Robbins Lumber Explosion & Fire

A Monday afternoon press release from the Maine Department of Public Safety has provided us with an update on the fire and explosion in Searsmont that claimed the life of a firefighter on Friday.

The press release explains that what investigators are finding at the scene of the devastating fire and explosion at Robbins Lumber is slowly helping piece together what happened during one of the most intense industrial emergencies Midcoast Maine has seen in years.  But even days later, the scene remains a tangled maze of debris, damaged equipment, and dangerous conditions.

Investigators from the Maine Office of State Fire Marshal and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spent another full day working through the remains of the mill, focusing on documenting the scene, preserving evidence, conducting aerial mapping, and interviewing witnesses.

So far, investigators have completed more than 50 interviews, and they say many more are still ahead.  Those conversations are helping officials build a clearer timeline of the fire and the powerful explosion that followed.

Teams have also been studying similar mill infrastructure and electrical systems to better understand how the facility operated before the incident happened.  It is kind of like investigators rebuilding the mill piece by piece, except with blueprints, interviews, and scorched evidence instead of lumber and nails.

Conditions at the site haven’t exactly made the job easy, either.

Strong winds whipped through the area throughout the day, sending debris flying and forcing crews to pause operations at times.  Drone flights and aerial photography efforts were especially difficult, slowing some of the documentation process. During operations, one ATF investigator suffered a minor injury because of the hazardous conditions on scene.  Officials say the injury was not serious, and crews continued working safely with added precautions in place.

Despite the massive damage, portions of the mill are still able to operate safely while the investigation continues.  Officials say Robbins Lumber has cooperated fully with investigators every step of the way as crews work to both investigate the explosion and carefully restore parts of the facility where possible.

The explosion also took a serious toll on local emergency responders.

Fire apparatus from the Searsmont Fire Department, Belmont Fire Department, and Appleton Fire Department sustained damage during the incident, impacting emergency response capabilities in those communities. Mutual aid departments continue stepping in to help cover emergency calls while repairs and recovery efforts continue.

Officials also provided an update on those injured in the explosion and response effort.

Among those hospitalized are:

• Assistant Chief Wayne Woodbury of Searsmont Fire
• EMS Chief Sara Tompkins of Searsmont EMS
• Lilliane Robbins
• Katheryn Paige of Belmont Fire
• Jacob Spaulding of Montville Fire
• Alden Robbins
• James Robbins
• Thomas Wolfe

Several others, including Fire Chief James Ames, Aaron Heald, Cliffton Marriner, and John Ward, have since been released.

And hanging heavily over the entire investigation is the loss of firefighter Andrew Cross.

Officials say their thoughts remain with Cross’ family, the injured victims, coworkers, first responders, and the surrounding communities still trying to process what happened.

For now, the investigation remains active, ongoing, and incredibly complex.

There is a press conference planned for Tuesday, May 19, 2026, at 3:00 PM at the Searsmont Town Office.