Janet Mills urges caution after Searsmont Maine fire at Robbins Lumber

A mass casualty incident was reported Friday at Robbins Lumber in searsmont maine, and Governor Janet Mills said she had been briefed on the situation unfolding there. Waldo County Dispatch said the incident was currently happening in Searsmont, while the Fire Marshal’s Office said it was responding.

Video obtained by WABI showed a large fire at the facility. A person who answered the phone at Robbins Lumber said there was a situation ongoing at the sawmill.

Janet Mills on Searsmont

“I have been briefed on the situation unfolding in Searsmont. I urge folks to stay clear of the area, follow the instructions of law enforcement, and allow emergency personnel to respond. I ask Maine people to join me in keeping all those affected in their thoughts.” Mills said Friday in a statement on X.

Her warning matched the response already under way. Emergency personnel, law enforcement and the Fire Marshal’s Office were all tied to the scene as the report described a mass casualty incident, a term used for a sudden surge in patients that can strain local medical resources.

Robbins Lumber Response

Robbins Lumber is the facility named in the report, and the phone response from the business indicated the situation was still ongoing there. The fire shown in video from the scene gave the clearest sign of how quickly the incident escalated beyond a routine emergency call.

For people in Searsmont, the practical step is the one Mills spelled out: stay clear of the area and follow law enforcement instructions. That is the immediate course of action while responders work at the lumber facility and state officials track the unfolding incident.