Federal report: Water poured on Searsmont fire part of what led to deadly explosion
A group of bystanders watches the flames and smoke Friday in Searsmont. (Ethan Horton/Staff Writer)
Federal investigators have determined that the response to a blaze at Robbins Lumber on May 15 inadvertently contributed to the subsequent explosion that has killed three people and severely injured several more.
They found the Searsmont lumber mill’s owners had inadequately planned for the hazard posed by the dust in the silo, and didn’t post warnings for firefighters about the dangers of using water in the silo.
The report, released Friday by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), is likely the first of several reviews of the incident.
The fire started in a silo containing wood shavings, and within 40 minutes it appeared to be contained, investigators said. The agency found that the six fire departments initially responding had responded to several silo fires at Robbins Lumber over the past 20 years, but in each case, the silo vented at the top.
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This time, the silo full of wood shavings was “oxygen-limiting,” which means when firefighters added water in a way that had been effective in the past, they accidentally added fuel, the agency said.
Investigators obtained the manufacturer’s published silo emergency procedures. Under fire department instructions, the document states “DANGER: Do not fight fire by adding water or foam to the structure.”
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The result was an explosion of dust that launched the silo and a large plume of fire in the air.
Investigators said Robbins Lumber employees were unaware that the silo’s contents — wood shavings and sawdust — constituted a combustible dust hazard. Subsequently, responding firefighters were not notified of any combustible dust hazards before or during the incident.
The facility had hosted walk-throughs for firefighters, the report said, but did not have a so-called pre-incident plan with site-specific strategies. It also did not post labels about the specific danger of using water for fire suppression in a sealed silo.
NIOSH line-of-duty death report by Maine Trust For Local News
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Read all our coverage of the Searsmont explosion
The fire and explosion have devastated the firefighting community in Maine. Morrill Firefighter Andrew Cross died on the scene from heat-related injuries and smoke inhalation. Searsmont Assistant Fire Chief Wayne Woodbury died at the hospital four weeks later due to burn injuries, and company co-owner Alden Robbins died in the hospital in July.
A procession accompanying the remains of Searsmont Assistant Fire Chief Wayne Woodbury, 76, passes under a large flag held up by a crane in Searsmont on June 15. (Joe Phelan/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image
Searsmont EMS Chief Sarah Tompkins and two members of the Robbins family are still in the hospital. Massachusetts General Hospital, where Lily and Jim Robbins are believed to be, confirmed to the Portland Press Herald this week that it has two patients from Searsmont, and that one is in critical condition and one is in fair condition.
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Midcoast communities and fire departments across the state have celebrated the return home of several other first responders, including Jacob Spaulding and Katherine Paige. Several of them spent weeks in the hospital and are expecting to need years to recover from their injuries.
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Investigators said the best practice for an oxygen-limiting silo is to allow it to smother itself out by not opening the top or bottom hatches for several weeks.
In its report, the agency also took issue with the command on the ground during the response to the initial fire. “Facility owners and employees were around the silo to answer questions from individual firefighters but were not part of a unified command structure,” the report said, adding that employees’ and owners’ knowledge of the facility may have helped inform decision-making.
However, the agency also said employees at Robbins Lumber pointed out a plexiglass panel at the base of the silo, which led firefighters to direct water there — something that the silo’s manufacturer explicitly warned against.
They also said that there was not adequate accounting of where everyone was during the response. Cross was discovered to be missing two hours after the explosion, at which point leaders on the ground launched a search and previously told the Press Herald they found him within 20 minutes.
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health listed several fixes for the future, including proper labels that would notify firefighters on-site about the hazards of combustible dust. It showed a label used by other facilities that says: “Water contributes to explosion of sealed silos.”
This is a developing story.
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Tagged: firefighters, Searsmont explosion
Rachel Estabrook is an accountability reporter at the Portland Press Herald. Before joining the Press Herald in 2026, Rachel worked in the newsroom at Colorado Public Radio for 12 years. She's originally. More by Rachel Estabrook
Penny is excited to be the Portland Press Herald’s first climate reporter. Since joining the paper in 2016, she has written about Maine’s lobster and cannabis industries, covered state politics and. More by Penelope Overton
