PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A second firefighter has died from injuries suffered while fighting a fire and explosion at a Maine lumber mill last month.
The May 15 fire at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont sent plumes of black smoke into the sky and necessitated a response from hundreds of firefighters to a rural part of the state. Searsmont Assistant Fire Chief Wayne Woodbury, 76, died Sunday morning from his injuries, the Maine Department of Public Safety said.
Woodbury was among more than 10 people injured in the fire and explosion. Andrew Cross, 27, of the Morrill Volunteer Fire Department also died.
“Wayne gave his life to protect his community, and his sacrifice and example will never be forgotten,” Maine Gov. Janet Mills said in a statement. "On behalf of the people of Maine, I extend my deepest condolences to the Searsmont Fire Department, to his community and to all impacted by this devastating loss.”
The investigation into the fire is still ongoing, the public safety department said. Authorities have said the fire was accidental and originated at the base of a silo.
Rapid ignition of particulate material resulted in an explosion in the silo that caused it to lift from its concrete base and release large amounts of sawdust and other materials, the Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office said last month. The silo then toppled and the surrounding area became engulfed in the fire, the office said.
Lumber mills are major sources of combustible dust. The mills in Maine are part of the state's longstanding lumber and wood products industry, which provides thousands of jobs and generates billions of dollars in economic activity every year.
Robbins Lumber's websites describes the company as a high-tech lumber manufacturer that has existed for more than a century. The Searsmont mill is located about 95 miles (150 kilometers) northeast of Portland, the largest city in the state.
Maine Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau said in a Monday statement that his "heart goes out to (Woodbury's) family, colleagues, and all who are affected by this tragedy."
FILE - This photo provided by the Maine Department of Public Safety shows flames from a large fire at Robbins Lumber in Searsmont, Maine, May 15, 2026 (Maine Department of Public Safety via AP, File)
Having devoted much of her childhood and teenage years to her single-minded intention of becoming an elite hockey player, defender Caroline Harvey had little time to stop and consider there being more to life than skates, sticks and pucks.
It wasn’t until Harvey was sidelined by a left knee injury early into her sophomore season at Wisconsin when the realization flickered.
“It taught me how to have more balance,” Harvey said of the time she missed rehabbing an injured medial patellofemoral ligament in the fall of 2023.
Rather than review film to dissect her performance as she would do most nights, Harvey learned to turn off her phone. She got into yoga, started doing breathing exercises, took up cooking and even thrifting. Just as important was Harvey watching from the stands to gain perspective and find her voice in providing feedback to teammates during and after games.
“I am grateful for it now looking back, and as much as it sucked,” she said. “It did teach me a lot about myself that I didn’t know before. And it helped me mature a lot.”
At 23, Harvey already is one of the most accomplished players in women's hockey. She is coming off a senior season in which she won a third NCAA title and was named college hockey’s MVP. Internationally, she was the Olympic tournament’s MVP while winning gold representing the U.S. at the Milan Cortina Games in February.
Next up is turning pro. Harvey leads what’s regarded as the PWHL’s most talented prospect class and is projected to go first in the draft in Detroit on Wednesday.
Vancouver holds the No. 1 pick.
The bumper crop of prospects features five U.S. Olympic teammates, including Wisconsin’s Laila Edwards and Minnesota forward Abbey Murphy, plus several European Olympians.
There's no doubt in U.S. coach John Wroblewski's mind about who deserves to go first.
“The accolades that she’s racked up before she’s even graduated college is unprecedented,” he said. “It’s a no-brainer.”
Harvey is a strong and gifted skater who is rarely out of position defensively and a deft playmaker. With two goals and seven assists in seven games, she had nine points at the Olympics to tie for the tournament lead. And she completed her college career with 54 goals and 201 points in 147 games, including consecutive 60-point seasons.
“She is the most beautiful, fastest skater I’ve ever seen,” said U.S. teammate and PWHL veteran Hayley Scamurra, who also believes Harvey will be chosen first. “Just unbelievable. She’s such a great player, and I cannot wait to see her in the pro league.”
Harvey is from Pelham, New Hampshire, and got into hockey as a youngster after attending her older brother’s practices. Her father would rent out rink time and the two would make the half-hour drive to North Andover, Massachusetts, for individual sessions. By high school, Harvey moved to Rochester, New York, to attend the BK Selects hockey academy.
Harvey delayed her first college season to make her Olympic debut at the 2022 Beijing Games.
The U.S. settled for silver in a tournament that proved to be a disappointment for Harvey. She was held without a point and benched for a majority of the knockout rounds after losing the faith of former coach Joel Johannson.
In replacing Johannson, Wroblewski identified Harvey’s abilities and immediately began building her confidence by encouraging her to play without fear.
In the four years since, Wroblewski has watched a once shy and soft-spoken Harvey grow into an assertive player and person.
“I think we’re just getting a glimpse of what that looks like in her maturation process,” he said.
“It just so happens that this young woman is supremely gifted with athleticism and electricity and everything that goes into being a superstar hockey player. And it all meets up with the fact that she loves what she’s doing and destined to be here,” Wroblewski added. “It’s a rare quality that you find in superstar athletes. And (she’s) got the je ne sais quoi.”
Harvey has become more comfortable talking about herself, even though she declines to guess when she’ll be drafted.
“They can’t honestly go wrong with who they pick because this draft class is just so deep,” she said. “And I’m just going to be grateful that night if I hear my name called.”
It’s not a matter of if.
Harvey can reflect on the long hours she’s put in on the ice, in weight rooms and playing far away from home to appreciate what she has so far accomplished.
“It’s being satisfied in a sense of like, yes, you can look back at the accomplishments, but you just always want more,” Harvey said, no different from how she's approached perfecting her game. “Part of it's I don't want to look back and be like, ‘Oh, I could have done better.’ I don't want to ever underachieve.”
AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey
FILE - United States' Caroline Harvey shoots on goal during a preliminary round match of women's ice hockey between Switzerland and United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Feb. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File)
