TL/DR –
A house in Sterling, Virginia, exploded while fire crews were investigating a reported gas leak, resulting in the death of firefighter Trevor Brown and injuries to 13 others. The injured, including 11 first responders and two civilians, sustained varying degrees of injuries, with four of the responders remaining hospitalized Saturday morning. The cause of the explosion, which occurred following the discovery of a leak in a 500-gallon propane tank, is still under investigation.
Sterling, Virginia House Explosion Claims Firefighter’s Life, Injures 13
A home in Sterling, Virginia, exploded on Friday night during a gas leak check by fire crews. The unfortunate incident resulted in one firefighter’s death and injured 13 others, inclusive of 11 first responders, according to officials.
Loudoun County Fire and Rescue reported that the injured first responders and two civilians were rushed to the hospital after the fatal explosion. Injuries varied in severity, and four first responders were still in the hospital on Saturday morning, according to Fire and Rescue updates.
The department recognized the fallen firefighter as Trevor Brown, a 45-year-old member of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company, who had served with Loudoun County Fire and Rescue since 2016.
The fire crews were called to the residence around 7:40 p.m. ET on Friday following a 911 call reporting a gas odor. Upon arrival, the team discovered a 500-gallon underground propane tank leaking on the home’s side. A hazardous materials response team was then summoned.
A short while later, a “catastrophic explosion” occurred, leading to frantic maydays and calls for help from the wreck. Rescue teams scrambled to locate and extract firefighters from the debris, and injuries varied in degrees, officials report.
Images from the aftermath show a massive smoke plume from the leveled home, and debris scattered in the street. Several fire trucks and emergency vehicles responded to the scene. Loudoun County Fire and Rescue assistant chief of operations James Williams described the scene as “total devastation.”
Two civilians were home during the incident and were transported with minor injuries, according to a department spokeswoman. The explosion’s cause is under investigation, but officials assure it was an isolated incident with no ongoing threat to the community.
Sterling, the incident location, lies approximately 20 miles northwest of Arlington and less than 5 miles north of Washington Dulles International Airport, near the Maryland border.
An eyewitness living nearby told CNN affiliate WUSA the explosion looked like an “inferno”. “It was horrific,” John Padgett added.
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