Federal Report: Water Poured on Searsmont Fire Part of What Led to Deadly Explosion

New report finds response accidentally worsened fatal Searsmont explosion

Fighting May's Searsmont lumber mill fire with water likely led to the deadly explosion, a report found.

Federal report: Water poured on Searsmont fire part of what led to deadly explosion

The May fire and explosion at Robbins Lumber resulted in 3 deaths and a dozen more injuries, some serious.

Federal report on Searsmont tragedy says water from responding firefighters helped cause explosion

The May fire and explosion at Robbins Lumber resulted in 3 deaths and a dozen more injuries, some serious.

Report: Tactics used by firefighters may have made Searsmont lumber mill fire, explosion worse

A new report from federal investigators says the way that firefighters tried to put out a fire in a silo at the Robbins Lumber mill in Searsmont likely made it much worse, and went against the manufacturer's stated emergency procedures.

Feds: Firefighters unknowingly contributed to deadly Searsmont silo explosion

A new federal report found pouring water into a silo fueled the fatal Robbins Lumber explosion in Searsmont.

Report: Firefighters' response in Searsmont unintentionally contributed to explosion

In its report, the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety says a fire originated in an oxygen-limiting silo on May 15, but neither mill employees nor firefighters knew it was different from a conventional silo and the unique hazard it presented.