Explosion at Robbins Lumber injures multiple, kills firefighter

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Searsmont, Maine. On Friday an explosion and large fire tore through Robbins Lumber Inc., located at 506 Main Street South, prompting a mass-casualty response from local emergency services. Waldo County 911 communications director Mike Larravie said at least five people were injured, though the extent of their injuries was not immediately known. Robbins Lumber co-owner Catherine Robbins-Halsted said all mill employees were accounted for and thanked firefighters for their work, noting that buildings can be replaced but employees cannot. Local crews continue to operate at the scene as investigators and first responders manage the incident and care for those affected. According to the Bangor Daily News, the mill’s purchasing manager, Ben Hamel, said the fire began in an area where wood shavings were packed in plastic bags and then spread to a nearby silo filled with dust, which subsequently exploded. Authorities have opened an investigation into the cause. State leaders asked residents to avoid the area and follow law enforcement instructions; Governor Janet Mills urged people to keep those affected in their thoughts, and U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden also encouraged the public to heed official updates and support first responders.