Remembering Andrew Cross, Morrill Firefighter & IAM Local S6 Member

Our thoughts and prayers are with first responders and their families who were impacted by the May 15th silo explosion and fire at the Robbins Lumber Mill in Searsmont that injured several people and took the life of Morrill firefighter and IAM Local S6 member Andrew Cross, 27. Eight patients have been treated at Maine Medical Center and three patients are being treated at Mass General Brigham Hospital in Boston.

"Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Andrew Cross,” IAM Local S6 wrote in a statement. “Andrew was an Outside Machinist on 2nd shift and a genuine role model for selflessness and courage. Our union family was fortunate to have him amongst our ranks, his dedication to duty and love of his community empowered us all. Local S6 lost a man of strong character whose absence will be felt for years to come. This fire impacted families all across Maine. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this tragedy."

Former Morrill Fire Chief told the Portland Press Herald that Cross “was a good, bright young man” who would “do anything for anybody.” Cross had worked for seven years at the shipyard as an outside machinist, which is very similar to a millwright, installing propulsion, ordinance, and auxiliary systems on the ships. Local S6 shop steward John Stejskal was close to Cross and said he was crushed when he got the call about his coworker’s death.

“There's nothing worse than getting a call like that and you're all by yourself,” he said. “I was crushed because we meet people in this life that don't offer money, they don't offer material stuff, but it was the 15 minutes I got to have talks with him. To me, that was more than any money or material stuff that I could ever possess in my whole lifetime.”

Stejskal said Cross was a proud union member and participated in his union as much as he could. He also loved being a firefighter, snowmobiling and four-wheeling. Cross filled in as a supervisor after the previous one left employment, and worked closely with Stejskal on overtime scheduling and on making sure work was done safely and correctly the first time. Cross’ trade is critical in that the workers create “the ribs and the bones” of ships.

“He was always like, ‘Hey, I just want to make it better for my guys in here to get the work done.’ If you came to him with a problem, he was the type of guy who would hear both sides and then make a decision,” said Stejskal. “He was not a ‘my way or the highway guy.’ If he became the permanent supervisor, he'd have been one of our best supervisors we ever had.”

Stejskal said Cross took the supervisory position, not for the money, but because he took such pride in his work and the “ship came first.”  He added that Cross was particularly sensitive to workers who struggled and focused on helping them become successful.

“Sometimes a worker would feel inadequate, but Andrew would always put them in a position on a job or have them do a task where they felt more confident,” he said. “Even if you were an adequate mechanic, he brought you up to a level where anything you put your hands on, he made you take pride in that. He was only 27 years old, but you would have thought he was 40 or 50 years old because he was so wise. You could tell he hung around the older mechanics and learned from the senior guys.”

A week ago Friday, firefighters and the State Police Honor Guard provided an honorable transfer of Cross’ body from the Medical Examiner's office in Augusta across Route 3 to Morrill and then to a funeral home in Belfast as people lined the route to pay their respects. This was the second honorable transfer in Maine in the last couple weeks as another one was held for Maine Game Warden Joshua Tibbetts, who died in a plane crash in Avon.

Belmont firefighter Katherine Paige was life flighted to Maine Medical Center where she was placed in a medically induced coma and treated for severe burns to her hands and face. She serves alongside her husband, Lt. Paul Paige, on the Belmont Fire Department. Paul shared that he was at his other job when the call came in. He asked the community to keep his wife in their thoughts and prayers, noting she has a long recovery ahead. Katherine Paige earned Firefighter of the Year honors in 2025 for her strong service and dedication to the department and her community.

Montville firefighter Jacob Spaulding was also reportedly badly burned and was transferred to a burn center in Portland, where he was put on a ventilator in the intensive care unit.

“My brother has always been one of the bravest people I know. As a volunteer firefighter, he never hesitated to put himself in danger to help others in their worst moments,” wrote Spaulding’s sister Katherine Spaulding on Facebook. “Now he is fighting the hardest battle of his life in the burn unit, and we are standing beside him every step of the way. We love him beyond words and are so proud of his strength, courage, and selflessness. Even through unimaginable pain, he continues to show the same bravery that led him to serve his community."

Rockland firefighter Prent Marriner (IAFF 1584) was also treated at Maine Med for burns on his face and his hands. He has since been released from the hospital and is recovering at home. Two of the mill owners, Jim Robbins and Alden Robbins, along with Alden’s daughter, Lily Robbins, are receiving care at the Massachusetts General Hospital’s world-class burn center in Boston. According to the company, the three Robbins family members “have a long road to recovery ahead, but they are in the very best hands.”

“Our hearts are with the family of the firefighter who lost his life in service to our community, and with the firefighters who remain hospitalized as they recover from their injuries,” the company said in a statement. “We are profoundly thankful for the courage, professionalism, and sacrifice shown by the first responders who answered the call that day.

The company said it is “working closely with investigators and fully cooperating as they conduct their review” of the tragedy. The Robbins’ family said they were touched by offers of financial support, but asked that any funds be donated to a local fire department or to the Shriners in honor of the firefighters and families impacted by this tragedy.