Maine communities mourn the 27-year-old firefighter killed in a lumber mill explosion

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MORRILL, Maine (AP) — A 27-year-old firefighter killed in a huge fire and explosion at a lumber mill in Maine's midcoast region was honored Saturday, a day after the incident that injured at least 11 others.

A memorial of flowers dedicated to Andrew Cross sat outside of the Morrill Volunteer Fire Department as a procession of dozens of firetrucks, police cars and other vehicles escorted his remains to a funeral home. Dozens of first responders and other community members gathered in Morrill to salute and pay their respects.

The procession routed through the small town of fewer than 1,000 people on its way from Augusta to Belfast, Maine, a journey about 46 miles (74 kilometers) long.

Roughly two dozen fire departments had responded to the massive flames that tore through a silo at Robbins Lumber in a rural area, according to the state fire marshal's office. Officials on Saturday identified Cross as the firefighter who was killed.

Cross joined the Morrill Volunteer Fire Department when Jethro Pease was fire chief, Pease told the Portland Press Herald.

“He was a good, bright young man,” Pease said. “He’d do anything for anybody.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, which has a Level 1 trauma designation, said Saturday that eight of 10 patients brought to the hospital were still being treated. Two patients had been transferred. Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor had been treating one patient who was in critical condition but said Saturday that that patient was transferred to another facility.

Robbins Lumber’s website describes the company as a “high-tech lumber manufacturer” that has been in existence since 1881 and family-owned for five generations. The mill in Searsmont, about 95 miles (150 kilometers) from Portland, was cooperating with authorities on the investigation and would cease operations at this time, said family spokesperson Christian Halsted.

Halsted said Friday that it was a “hugely devastating day for the family.”

Lumber and wood products are a critical and historic industry in Maine. The Maine Forest Products Council said it contributed more than $8 billion to the state's economy in 2024 and provides about 29,000 jobs.