NIOSH Report On Robbins Lumber Fire

A local fire department is responding to the recent report released by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health about the fire and explosion that took place at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont earlier this May.

While preliminary reports by the Maine State Fire Marshal deemed the fire and explosion an accident, the NIOSH report took a deeper dive into the incident, investigating how both the mill and firefighters who responded to the emergency.

NIOSH conducts these reports as teaching tools, in the event a firefighter is killed in the line of duty, which occurred in the case of the fire and explosion at Robbins Lumber. A volunteer firefighter from Morrill, Andrew Cross, died at the scene, followed several weeks later by Searsmont Assistant Fire Chief Wayne Woodbury, who died of burns he received while fighting the fire.

Robbins Mill Fire, Maine Department of Public Safety

Information is gathered from several resources, including witness statements, audio recordings from the scene and local dispatch centers, and information often collected by the state fire marshal's office.

The results are meant to provide fire departments and personnel with knowledge going forward that will help them in future emergencies.

In the case of the Robbins Lumber fire and explosions, officials pointed out several instances where the firefighters and mill employees would have benefited from additional information.

Robbins Lumber NIOSH Report, State Fire Marshal's Office, Robbins Lumber

One of the major issues cited in the report was that firefighters did not know that the silo that exploded was not like other silos on the property, but was oxygen-limiting, and that employees on site didn't realize the silo's contents were considered a combustible dust hazard, and therefore did not warn firefighters of that risk.

For over 20 years, Firefighters had responded to fires in other silos on the property, but this silo was different and required a different approach.

"At the incident, firefighters employed similar tactics of flowing water into the oxygen-limiting silo as these efforts worked previously at the conventional silo. NIOSH investigators obtained the manufacturer’s published silo emergency procedures.
Under fire department instructions, the document states, 'DANGER: Do not fight fire by adding water or foam to the structure.' The document warns against spraying water or foam into the oxygen-limiting silo as it will force air in and may create a potentially explosive mixture [Harvestore 1993]." "

"The application of water into the silo in this incident likely entrained oxygen into the silo headspace, stirred up dust within the contents, and caused it to become suspended in an explosive concentration."

The report also outlined ways in which the firefighters and mill workers could have benefited from a unified incident command, a personnel accountability system (as firefighter Cross was unaccounted for for almost 2 hours after the blast), and pre-incident planning for a large-scale event like this.

There were some positives outlined in the information shared, including how the Fire Departments that responded would often conduct mutual aid training, helping them work together in emergencies, and also how they would periodically perform walk-throughs at the Robbins facility to familiarize themselves with the blueprint so they would know the location of hydrants, structures, and hazards on the property.

Also noted in the report were the extraordinary measures fire personnel and EMTs used to help those injured in the blast, despite the intense challenges they faced.

"Following the explosion, firefighters searched for survivors and pulled them away from the area of the explosion. Many of the firefighters assisting others were critically injured themselves but attempted to provide assistance amidst the chaos."

In light of the report, the Liberty Fire Department, who had firefighters on hand, helping to fight the fire at Robbins Lumber, issued a statement, reminding folks that while the data gathered and recommendations made are important and will be used to help firefighters going forward, there are real people attached to this particular incident; firefighters who ran towards the unknown dangers, and not away from it.

"Remember the families who received the phone calls no family ever wants to receive.
These were not just names in a NIOSH report. They were people. And for those of us in the fire and EMS service, we know that every time we hear about a firefighter or EMS provider being injured or killed in the line of duty, we don't just see a headline.
We see one of our own. So yes — read the report. Study it. Learn from it. Let it make us better and safer. But please don't forget the people behind the report. Learn from the tragedy. Honor those affected by it."

One of the Robbins Lumber owners, Alden Robbins, passed away at the beginning of July from burn injuries he sustained at the scene of the fire. There are still several first responders healing from wounds they sustained at the fire last May, some of whom are still in the hospital.

Robbins Lumber Inc, which has served the state of Maine as a family-owned lumber processing facility for almost 145 years, also issued a statement following the release of the report.

It began with a heartfelt thank you to the first responders for their bravery and service. They also thanked the folks who took the time to put the NIOSH report together.

"No report can fully capture the heartbreak experienced by our community, nor can it lessen the tremendous loss suffered by so many.

The NIOSH report is intended to identify lessons that can help prevent similar tragedies in the future. We are committed to carefully reviewing its findings and recommendations and working collaboratively with the fire service, industry organizations, safety professionals, and regulatory agencies to improve safety wherever possible."

The statement went on to say that the family and the company are dedicated to the safety of its employees and the community. They also shared their gratitude for all of the support that's been given to not only the company, but the first responders affected by this tragedy.