(DailyAnswer.org) – A firefighter has died, and 11 people have been injured after a home explosion destroyed a house in Sterling, Virginia. According to the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company, crews responded to reports of a gas leak turning into a structural blaze at 7:40 p.m. on February 16.
Firefighters were reportedly inside the property when it exploded, killing one firefighter and injuring nine firefighters and two civilians. Loudon County Fire & Rescue Assistant Chief of Operations James Williams stated at a press conference that some of the 11 taken to hospital had serious injuries. The deceased firefighter has since been identified as 45-year-old Trevor Brown of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company.
Neighbors reported that they heard a large boom and experienced damage to their properties. Firefighters had entered the property to rescue trapped civilians when the explosion occurred. Williams described the damage to the house as “total devastation,” and investigators found a 500-gallon propane tank that had exploded under the residence. Neighbor John Padgett commented that the horrific aftermath of the explosion looked like a warzone.
In 2023, a house fire involving a propane tank in Illinois in which no one was hurt raised concerns about the risks of propane tank explosions. A 2018 report by the National Fire Protection Association on propane safety statistics for the years 2012 through 2016 identified 900 residential fires started by propane igniting. The report counted, on average, 25 civilian deaths and 155 injuries each year due to propane fires. Individuals who are injured by malfunctioning propane tanks may seek legal action and compensation.
The Luray Fire Department posted on social media asking people to keep the Loudoun County Firefighters in their prayers. Brown had been working in the fire service since 2016 and was survived by his wife and three children.
Keith Johnson, the chief of Loudoun County’s Combined Fire and Rescue System, said that an investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the explosion. Though local utility provider Washington Gas said it would verify its system’s integrity in the area, Johnson said that, to his knowledge, the propane tank was not provided by them. He said that the company that provided the tank, which he would not name, will be investigated. Johnson stressed how miraculous it was that only one firefighter died in the explosion.
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