Mill Owners & Firefighters Recover In Hospitals As ATF Joins Investigation And Communities Rally Around Folks In Waldo County

Many of us in Maine are still reeling from what happened in Waldo County on Friday morning, as the long-time, family-owned, local business, Robbins Lumber, was the scene of a massive fire and subsequent explosion that killed one firefighter and left almost a dozen more people injured.

Read More: Searsmont, Maine Lumberyard Fire Leads To Fatalities And Serious Injuries

As news organizations scrambled to get information out to folks across the state, dramatic images of the fire circulated all over the place, along with concern for those involved and impacted by the tragedy.

By Saturday morning, the Maine State Medical Examiner's office had identified the firefighter who passed as 27-year-old Andrew Cross, a firefighter with the Morrill Volunteer Fire Department.

Read More: Honor Procession Planned For Fallen Firefighter In Waldo County

Senator Susan Collins issued a statement over the weekend, speaking about the impact Maine's firefighters have in communities across the state, as they serve their towns with honor and bravery. She went on to say she was saddened she was to learn that Firefighter Andrew Cross from the Morrill Volunteer Fire Department made the ultimate sacrifice to his community on Friday when he passed away trying to help fire the fire at the Robbins Lumber Company.

"A member of my staff knew Andrew for many years and played soccer with him from the time they were young. He said that everyone knew Andrew as a kindhearted, hardworking Maine man who loved his family, his dogs, and the people of his community. He was the kind of person who could always be seen with a smile on his face, and his loss is being felt deeply. Andrew’s life is a shining example of the courage, bravery, and selfless love of others that can be found in every town and city across our great state."

A procession of community members and local EMS members lined the streets along the route as Firefighter Cross's body was transported as it processed from Augusta to  Riposta's Funeral Home in Belfast. Hundreds came out in support of the young man, his family, and his brothers and sisters in the Fire Department.

The Robbins family honored him in a statement they released on their website over the weekend. They also confirmed that two of the owners of the mill, Jim and Alden Robbins, were also injured in the blaze.

"Our hearts are with the family of the firefighter who lost his life in service to our community, and with the firefighters who remain hospitalized as they recover from their injuries. We are profoundly thankful for the courage, professionalism, and sacrifice shown by the first responders who answered the call that day.

We also want to share that two of our owners, Jim Robbins and Alden Robbins, along with family member Lily Robbins, are receiving excellent care at Massachusetts General Hospital’s world-class burn center. They have a long road to recovery ahead, but they are in the very best hands, and we look forward to their return."

They added that they were incredibly grateful for the support they have received from community members, industry partners, and the employees during the difficult time.

By Sunday, it was announced that State Fire Investigators would be joined by Special Agents from the Federal level, as agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives National Response Team (ATF NRT) join forces to look into what may have caused the fire and explosion. The Maine Department of Public Safety says the additional help on a federal level allows for more resources and personnel to look into the matter.

"We owe the people of Maine a thorough, professional, and methodical investigation. ATF is the only federal agency tasked with fire investigation. Therefore, at our request, the ATF NRT has responded with specialized personnel and resources, including forensic scientists, electrical engineers, computer modeling experts, and additional fire investigation personnel to support complex investigations of this nature."

They say they'll likely be on-site at the Robbins Mill for most of this week, and continue to monitor those patients injured in the fire, who are in hospitals throughout the region, stating that "the impact of this emergency will be felt for years to come."

One of those firefighters, recovering at Maine Medical Center, is Belmont Firefighter Katherine Paige. Her husband, Lieutenant Paul Paige of the Belmont Fire Department, took to social media to ask folks to keep his wife in their thoughts, calling her "a tough cookie."

Katherine Paige was just named Firefighter of the Year last year. Her husband posted a link to a GoFundMe page started for her on his page.

For folks at the Lincolnville Fire Department, there was a moment of celebration Sunday when one of their own was able to come home from the hospital.

Firefighter Aaron Heald, who has been with the department for several years, was one of those first responders injured while battling the blaze. He got a hero's welcome when he returned to the firehouse over the weekend.

The department posted pictures of the return on their Facebook Page, with a very simple but heartfelt message: "Welcome Home, Brother. It’s good to see you."

Meanwhile, many local Fire Departments returned to the Robbins Mill over the weekend, to manage hot spots and help with the investigation.

Liberty Fire & Rescue commented that they were grateful to the community for such an outpouring of support, as a number of individuals and organizations stepped up to make sure the firefighters were well-fed and well-hydrated.

"...we wanted to give a huge thank you to Lori's Cafe ( Lori Mayer ), Pottle's, Circle K, and so many individuals in Liberty and surrounding towns who made donations of food, drinks, etc to the Fire scene at Robbin's Lumber."

"It was appreciated so much! Everyone fighting that fire and dealing with so many emotions felt the love as more and more donations came in."

Canteen 19, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing assistance to First Responders, was also on scene to support the fire departments over the weekend.

Whitney Brown worked for many years as a volunteer firefighter in Waldo County. For 6 years, she spent time fighting fires alongside firefighters in Belmont, Belfast, and Vinalhaven.

She stopped to start a family and is now a stay-at-home mom and runs Mossflower Cottage Bakery out of her home in Belmont. She says when she heard the call go out on Friday, it hit her hard.

"When I heard the call come in on Friday, I was paralyzed listening to the (website) scanner. These are my friends, my former coworkers, and family. Hearing the call for any and every available service member broke my heart."

While Brown was not actively a firefighter, she began to think of other ways in which she could help.

"I’m not currently with a department. What can I do? I don’t want to clutter the scene and be in the way. I was also baking for the weekend bake stand on Friday, and I decided 100% of the proceeds are going straight to the departments. I was previously offering all foods on the bake stand for trade/barter, but this was my second week of pricing, so it’s not unheard of for me to 'give it all away'. I know there are GoFundMe pages, but they take a percentage, and I wanted all the money to go directly to the departments."

"These are good people who pour their hearts and time into helping neighbors on their worst days, and it’s time to help them after one of their worst days The stand raised $350 this weekend and my husband Jared and I donated another $250 so we can give 6 departments $100 each, and a box of cookies. I’ll be delivering them this afternoon. (Appleton, Belfast, Belmont, Lincolnville, Morrill, and Searsmont) I plan on continuing to raise money every week and make monthly donations to EMA or departments that need it most that month."

Brown knew first-hand what those firefighters were up against, and what those who were injured in the blaze would be battling in their own lives going forward.

"The physical injuries suffered by firefighters are horrific. I worked with Kat on Belmont. Prent, the Appleton chief, was my roller derby coach for years. I watched Aaron grow up in Lincolnville, where I grew up. And so many more stories of people I’ve worked with and met on various scenes from fires to car accidents."

She wanted to be able to do something, if even on a small scale, to not only help those firefighters she knows and loves, but also to the communities who were now not only dealing with a loss of personnel, but also equipment, as fire engines and crucial firefighting apparatus were also damaged in the explosion.

"Working within the fire industry, I know how much this equipment costs. I know how hard it is to get. I don’t want to take focus away from the human loss, but millions of dollars in emergency equipment is hard to replace in a small community. It makes response time to emergencies harder and takes longer."

She also posted a link to a GoFundMe page that's been set up for victims and families of the Robbins Mill Fire, prioritizing first responders.

Local lumber retailer, Hammond Lumber Company, stepped up to the plate to help their Maine colleagues, saying their hearts are with those impacted by Friday's fire, and made a generous donation to help the individuals and families involved.

"Hammond Lumber Company is donating $100,000 to the Maine Strong Memorial Foundation to support those directly affected by this tragedy. The Foundation is working closely with the Town of Searsmont and official community representatives to ensure donations go directly to the individuals injured and the family of the individual who lost their life. As a fellow family-owned Maine business, Robbins Lumber has long been a valued partner of ours, and this loss is deeply felt throughout Maine’s lumber community."

The town of Searsmont released a statement Monday evening, letting folks know that they are working to establish an official fund to help those impacted by the fire.

They recommend that if folks want to help out financially, they make sure to verify that the organizations/sites claiming to help are actually sending the money to where it's needed most.

An official fund has been set up through the Maine Strong Memorial Foundation, where folks can confidently donate financial relief to those affected by Friday's fire and explosion.

"The Maine Strong Memorial Foundation has officially launched an Emergency Relief Fund supporting the confirmed individuals and families impacted by the explosion and fire at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont, Maine. This tragedy has affected firefighters, first responders, individuals, families, and surrounding communities across Maine. As details continue to emerge, our goal is to begin raising funds immediately so support can be provided as quickly as possible to those impacted by this devastating event."

Click here to be taken directly to the donation link.

People can also mail donations to the Searsmont Town Office. The address is:
Town of Searsmont PO Box 56 Searsmont, ME 04973.

Officials with the town warn folks to be wary of possible scam pages, advising them to vet any organization they might be interested in donating to, or to donate directly to the fire departments themselves.

The American Red Cross was also on hand this weekend at the mill, helping out. This inspired many to ask how they could help in these situations.

The American Red Cross suggests contacting Maine's volunteer specialist, Al Smith via email or phone:  alan.smith4@redcross.org | (207) 500-6746. There's also a website you can check out to find more information. Click here for details.