Searsmont assistant fire chief dies a month after lumber mill explosion

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 14, 2026

The Maine state fire marshal’s office announced the death of Searsmont Assistant Fire Chief Wayne Woodbury on Sunday at Maine Medical Center in Portland. Woodbury, 76, suffered serious injuries after responding to a devastating fire on May 15 at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont. The fire and explosion at the lumber yard killed another firefighter, 27-year-old Morrill firefighter Andrew Cross, and injured at least 10 other people, several of whom remain hospitalized.