Maine communities mourn the 27-year-old firefighter killed in a lumber mill explosion

MORRILL, Maine (AP) — A 27-year-old firefighter killed in a huge fire and explosion at a lumber mill in Maine's midcoast region was honored Saturday, a day after the incident that injured at least 11 others.

A memorial of flowers dedicated to Andrew Cross sat outside of the Morrill Volunteer Fire Department as a procession of dozens of firetrucks, police cars and other vehicles escorted his remains to a funeral home. Dozens of first responders and other community members gathered in Morrill to salute and pay their respects.

The procession routed through the small town of fewer than 1,000 people on its way from Augusta to Belfast, Maine, a journey about 46 miles (74 kilometers) long.

Roughly two dozen fire departments had responded to the massive flames that tore through a silo at Robbins Lumber in a rural area, according to the state fire marshal's office. Officials on Saturday identified Cross as the firefighter who was killed.

Cross joined the Morrill Volunteer Fire Department when Jethro Pease was fire chief, Pease told the Portland Press Herald.

“He was a good, bright young man,” Pease said. “He’d do anything for anybody.”

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

MaineHealth Maine Medical Center in Portland, which has a Level 1 trauma designation, said Saturday that eight of 10 patients brought to the hospital were still being treated. Two patients had been transferred. Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor had been treating one patient who was in critical condition but said Saturday that that patient was transferred to another facility.

Robbins Lumber’s website describes the company as a “high-tech lumber manufacturer” that has been in existence since 1881 and family-owned for five generations. The mill in Searsmont, about 95 miles (150 kilometers) from Portland, was cooperating with authorities on the investigation and would cease operations at this time, said family spokesperson Christian Halsted.

Halsted said Friday that it was a “hugely devastating day for the family.”

Lumber and wood products are a critical and historic industry in Maine. The Maine Forest Products Council said it contributed more than $8 billion to the state's economy in 2024 and provides about 29,000 jobs.

This photo provided by the Maine Department of Public Safety shows flames from a large fire at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont, Maine on Friday, May 15, 2026 (Maine Department of Public Safety via AP)

This photo provided by the Maine Department of Public Safety shows flames from a large fire at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont, Maine on Friday, May 15, 2026 (Maine Department of Public Safety via AP)

This photo provided by the Maine Department of Public Safety shows Firefighters try to extinguish flames from a large fire at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont, Maine on Friday, May 15, 2026 (Maine Department of Public Safety via AP)

This photo provided by the Maine Department of Public Safety shows flames from a large fire at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont, Maine on Friday, May 15, 2026 (Maine Department of Public Safety via AP)

ROME (AP) — A driver plowed into pedestrians in the northern Italian city of Modena on Saturday, injuring eight people, four of them critically, local authorities said.

Mayor Massimo Mezzetti said no one was killed in the dramatic crash but four victims were in serious condition. He said a woman was pinned against a shop window and required the amputation of both legs.

The driver is a 31-year-old man born in Bergamo and raised in the province of Modena, Mezzetti said. He was detained and was being questioned at police headquarters as authorities worked to determine whether he was under the influence of substances or acted deliberately, the mayor said.

Mezzetti said the vehicle entered one of the city’s main streets and the man “drove onto the sidewalk, sending several people flying,” before crashing into the shop window.

At least eight people were injured, four of them in very serious condition, according to the mayor. Victims were taken to hospitals in Modena and Bologna, including by helicopter for the most critical cases.

The driver attempted to flee but was stopped first by some of the citizens involved in the crash and then by police and taken to headquarters for questioning.

Witnesses reported the man was holding a knife, but he did not manage to stab anyone, the mayor said, adding that investigators are still working to determine whether the act was deliberate or linked to other causes.

“Whatever the nature, it is a very serious act,” Mezzetti said. “If it were an attack, it would be even more serious.”

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni called the incident “extremely serious” in a social media post and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families.

Meloni thanked citizens who intervened to help stop the suspect and praised law enforcement, adding she was in contact with local authorities and expected the suspect to be held fully accountable.

Emergency services, including police, carabinieri and financial police, responded to the scene, which was cordoned off as ambulances treated victims in the street.

Blood is seen next to a destroyed car on a street of Modena, Italy, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Lapresse via AP)

Financial Police patrol a scene after a car incident in a street of Modena, Italy, Saturday, May 16, 2026. (Lapresse via AP)