Local News
Alden J. Robbins’ death follows those of a firefighter, who died while battling the blaze, and the assistant chief of a local fire department, who died about a month after from his injuries.
Flames engulf Robbins Lumber in Searsmont following an explosion May 15. Maine Department of Public Safety
The death toll from the May explosion and fire at a Maine lumber mill has risen to three after Robbins Lumber co-owner and Vice President Alden J. Robbins died Thursday from injuries he suffered in the blast, officials announced.
Robbins, who had worked at the family-run lumber mill in Searsmont since 1988, was hospitalized at Massachusetts General Hospital and succumbed to his injuries nearly two months after the May 15 explosion, the Robbins family said in an update posted to the mill’s website on July 3.
“We are heartbroken by the loss of a beloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle, and friend. Alden was the heart of our family in so many ways, and nothing mattered more to him than the people he loved,” the statement reads. “Throughout his battle, he fought with extraordinary courage and determination, holding on so that his family could have precious time with him.”
Robbins’ death follows those of 27-year-old Andrew Cross, a firefighter with the Morrill Fire Department, who was killed while responding to the explosion, and Wayne Woodbury, assistant chief of the Searsmont Fire Department, who died in June from injuries he sustained battling the fire.
The explosion also injured 12 others, including Robbins’ brother, James A. Robbins, the lumber company’s president, and his daughter, Liliane Robbins, a Searsmont EMT member, who were each also hospitalized at Mass General Hospital, the family said.
The family thanked medical teams at Maine Medical Center in Portland and Mass General Hospital’s Sumner Redstone Burn Center.
“We are also profoundly thankful for the countless prayers, messages of support, acts of kindness, and generosity shown by our employees, friends, neighbors, the forest products community, first responders, and people from across Maine and beyond,” the family added. “Your support has been a source of strength for our family.”
While spending nearly four decades helping lead the family’s business, Robbins also chaired the North Eastern Lumber Manufacturers Association, served on the Softwood Lumber Board, and was a member of the Maine Retail Lumber Dealers Association Board of Directors, according to his lumber mill’s website.
He is survived by his wife, Amy, and six children. His family said a celebration of life will be announced at a later date.
Catherine Robbins-Halsted, James L. Robbins, Alden Robbins, James A. Robbins, and Jenness Robbins. – Robbins Lumber
Tributes poured in from across Maine, with officials recognizing Robbins’ contributions to both the lumber industry and his community.
“He was known for his commitment to his family and his community, and was well respected throughout Waldo County and beyond,” Maine’s Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry wrote on Facebook. “His dedication was also evident in his family’s multi-generation sawmilling business, in Maine’s forest products industry, and to the people and communities whose livelihoods depend on it.”
“Maine’s forest products industry is built on hardworking people like Alden, and this loss will be felt across our state,” Rep. Chillee Pingree said in a Facebook post.
The Maine Department of Public Safety also extended its condolences to the Robbins family, employees, and all those affected by the tragedy.
“We ask that the family’s privacy be respected during this difficult time,” the department added.
The exact cause of the explosion remains under investigation. Authorities previously determined that the fire and subsequent explosion were accidental and originated at the base of a silo, where rapid ignition of particulate material caused a blast powerful enough to lift the structure from its foundation.
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