SEARSMONT, Maine — The acrid smell of smoke still hung thick in the air Saturday morning in the area around the Robbins Lumber mill.
Dark gray and white clouds of smoke could still be seen rising from the fire that caused an explosion that killed one firefighter and wounded others Friday at the mill. Along the Ghent Road near an entrance to the mill, portions of a fire hose lay outstretched. The hose lengths stretched into a small dirt lot local anglers use to park their cars and gain access to the Saint George River.
In that lot, two cases of water and a box full of Gatorade were propped up on a post that identified the area as being owned by a mill.
After the whirlwind of action Friday, the roads immediately around the mills were largely empty Saturday morning aside from a few passing cyclists, a Red Cross van that headed into the millsite along with a handful of pickup trucks. Farther up the Ghent road, two horses meandered in their pasture, as clouds of smoke occasionally wafted over them from the mill.
State officials Saturday morning identified the firefighter killed as Andrew Cross, 27, of the Morrill Fire Department. They haven’t yet shared details about what caused the fire or specifics of how many people were injured.
Cross’ body was set to be transferred from Augusta to Riposta Funeral Home in Belfast on Saturday morning.
