The explosion and fire in Searsmont is affecting the area’s frontline emergency response capabilities.
Searsmont, Belmont and Appleton fire departments all sustained damage to their fire trucks.
Fire leaders from around the state say they are still trying to recover emotionally and physically from the fire. Others are visiting the several injured in the fire still trying to make a recovery. One firefighter was still emotional as he recounted the moment he arrived to the blast.
“It was literally hell: smoke, fire, burning trucks, burning people,” Appleton Volunteer Fire Department Capt. Kevin Callahan said.
Callahan is still processing Friday’s scene, where flames tore through Robbins Lumber yard in Searsmont.
“I just turned and ran right back into it and saw things that no people should see,” Callahan said.
Callahan was one of the first to arrive on scene as the mill’s silo filled with wood chips exploded.
“The blast pushed a wave of burning wood chips under high pressure that basically just went into every nook and cranny of the engines,” Callahan said.
Appleton’s only mutual aid fire truck, Engine 1, was covered by the burning wood chips.
“It was really heartbreaking,” Callahan said.
Searsmont and Belmont’s fire trucks also were caught in the fire. Appleton’s engine was carrying hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment.
“It’s not just a truck, like in that moment, it’s a capability, and it’s resources and it’s tools,” Callahan said. “It’s what we need. There is not a whole lot you can do as a firefighter without a fire truck.”
One of the firefighters injured Friday was Appleton’s fire chief, who suffered burns to his hands and face.
“We are family. We are brotherhood, sisterhood,” Callahan said. “Those of us who are still fighting are in our hearts.”
As mourning continues and the injured recover, Callahan said Waldoboro is lending one of its trucks to Appleton.
On top of trying to find a new fire truck and going through insurance, Appleton is in need of volunteers.
Ken Desmond, president of the Maine State Federation of Firefighters, said 69% of Maine’s firefighting service is made up of volunteers, which can pose a challenge during large fires.
“One of the things with volunteers today is when they are working in their jobs and then have to drop what they are doing to respond,” Desmond said.
Another issue is the upfront costs to becoming a volunteer preventing many from becoming one.
“That’s about a $7,000 investment per firefighter,” Desmond said.
Desmond said the federation recently received federal funding, which will go to covering those costs.
However, the biggest concern is making sure those injured in the fire make a full recovery.
“It’s going to be a long time before it doesn’t hurt,” Callahan said.
