By MES Dispatch Staff
The Briefing
- Searsmont Fire Department Assistant Chief Wayne Woodbury, 76, died June 14, 2026, at Maine Medical Center in Portland from injuries sustained during a fire and explosion at Robbins Lumber on May 15, 2026, according to the Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office.
- The May 15 incident killed Morrill firefighter Andrew Cross and injured 12 people total, including Woodbury, eight other first responders, two Robbins Lumber co-owners, and a mill employee.
- Investigators determined the fire likely originated near a grain silo’s unloader mechanism, with airborne particulate material subsequently igniting and causing an explosion that lifted the silo from its base and released sawdust and debris, sparking a larger fire.
- Gov. Janet Mills issued a statement following Woodbury’s death, calling his death a sacrifice made to protect his community.
- Woodbury’s death marks the second fatality connected to the May 15 explosion, following the earlier death of firefighter Andrew Cross.
SEARSMONT, Maine — Searsmont Fire Department Assistant Chief Wayne Woodbury died Sunday, June 14, at Maine Medical Center in Portland from injuries he sustained nearly a month earlier in a fire and explosion at Robbins Lumber, according to the Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office. Woodbury was 76.
Woodbury was among 12 people injured in the May 15 incident, which also killed Morrill firefighter Andrew Cross. Eight other first responders, two co-owners of Robbins Lumber, and a mill employee were also injured in the explosion. Investigators determined the fire likely began near the unloader mechanism of a grain silo before airborne particulate material ignited, causing an explosion that lifted the silo from its base, released sawdust and debris, and sparked a larger structure fire.
Gov. Janet Mills issued a statement following Woodbury’s death. “I am deeply saddened to learn that Assistant Fire Chief of Searsmont, Wayne Woodbury, has died as a result of the injuries he sustained fighting the fire at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont,” Mills said. “Wayne gave his life to protect his community, and his sacrifice and example will never be forgotten. On behalf of the people of Maine, I extend my deepest condolences to the Searsmont Fire Department, to his community and to all impacted by this devastating loss.”
Woodbury’s death marks the second fatality connected to the May 15 explosion at Robbins Lumber. No additional information regarding funeral arrangements or a formal line-of-duty death determination had been publicly released as of the time of publication. The cause of the original fire and explosion remains under investigation.