SEARSMONT — The firefighter killed in a Searsmont explosion on Friday has been identified.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has identified 27-year-old firefighter Andrew Cross of Morrill as the deceased.

According to the Maine Fire Marshal’s Office, multiple fire departments responded to the Robbins Lumber at 506 Main Street in Searsmont just after 10 a.m. Friday.

While firefighters were attempting to suppress the fire, there was an explosion.

At least 10 firefighters were hospitalized, with some sustaining serious and critical injuries.

“The plume of black smoke in the air as I drove there just absolutely makes your stomach drop,” said Gayle McKeige, a firefighter with the Searsport Fire Department who deployed as part of Waldo County EMA Friday. “I think it’s a shock to have something that bad happen in your small town.”

Morrill was found dead at the scene.

On Saturday morning, the State Police Honor guard and a number of other agencies and fire departments took part in the honorable transfer of Cross, with a procession running from Augusta to Belfast.

“I just think that Andrew was the type of guy that if you knew him for five minutes, you had a friend,” said Morrill Volunteer Fire Department Asst. Chief Randy Markham. “Like I said, he was a firefighter’s firefighter, and very community minded. I have a 12-year-old son, and when he gets older, I’d like to have him be just like Andrew.”

The Searsmont Fire Department was the initial responding agency, with numerous mutual aid departments assisting in firefighting efforts. Officials say multiple fire trucks have been destroyed due to the fire.

“There were three towns that each lost one apparatus,” said Morrill Volunteer Fire Department Chief Dean Rollins. “So that’s definitely a hole that needs to be filled, but not as important as the people that are hurt.”

The cause and origin of the fire are being investigated by the Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office. Because of the complexity of the scene, officials said the investigation is expected to take some time. 

“This is going to hurt for a while,” said Markham.

MaineHealth Maine Medical Center Portland, Maine’s only Level 1 Trauma Center, said Friday night that it is treating 10 patients.

Of those, four were initially treated at MaineHealth Pen Bay Hospital, four at MaineHealth Waldo Hospital, one at MaineGeneral Hospital and one at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center.

“Our deepest sympathies, thoughts, and prayers are with the firefighter’s family, loved ones, and colleagues during this devastating time,” said State Fire Marshal Shawn Esler.