Firefighter killed, 11 injured in lumber mill explosion and big fireplace in Maine
Native Information
The investigation into the reason for the blast could not instantly provide solutions, Maine fireplace marshal Shawn Esler stated.
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A firefighter was killed in an enormous fireplace and explosion at a lumber mill in Maine’s midcoast area that injured at the least 11 different individuals Friday, authorities stated.
The firefighter was discovered lifeless on the mill, state officers stated Friday. The firefighter was a part of an enormous emergency response to flames tearing via Robbins Lumber in rural Maine when a silo exploded, authorities stated.
The investigation into the reason for the blast could not instantly provide solutions, Maine fireplace marshal Shawn Esler stated.
MaineHealth Maine Medical Middle in Portland, which has a Stage 1 trauma designation, stated it was treating 10 sufferers who had been transferred from native hospitals. Northern Gentle Jap Maine Medical Middle in Bangor was treating one affected person who was in vital situation, a spokesperson stated.
The mill is in Searsmont, a city of about 1,500 individuals, about 95 miles (153 kilometers) from Portland.
State and native emergency responders helped as fireplace departments labored for hours to comprise the flames.
“We now have dumped all the assets from the entire county over to that space,” Waldo County 911 director Mike Larrivee stated.
Robbins Lumber’s web site describes the corporate as a “high-tech lumber producer” that has been in existence since 1881 and family-owned for 5 generations.
Christian Halsted, a household spokesperson, stated the fireplace had been a “massively devastating day for the household” and the mill won’t be working within the close to future. The household was cooperating with authorities on the investigation, he stated.
Lumber and wooden merchandise are a vital and historic trade in Maine. The Maine Forest Merchandise Council stated the trade contributed greater than $8 billion to the state’s financial system in 2024 and offers about 29,000 jobs.
Officers together with Gov. Janet Mills stated Friday that they have been monitoring the response to the blaze.
“I urge of us to remain away from the world, comply with the directions of legislation enforcement, and permit emergency personnel to reply. I ask Maine individuals to affix me in conserving all these affected of their ideas,” Mills posted on X.
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Ramer reported from Harmony, N.H.
