A firefighter died and 13 others were injured in a catastrophic house explosion in Sterling, Virginia, Friday evening, after a large propane tank was found leaking, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue said.
Firefighters at the scene dispatched several mayday calls for the fire in the 300 block of Silver Ridge Drive — one saying a firefighter was "trapped by debris."
Firefighter and father Trevor Brown, 45, of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company was killed, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue said Saturday. He had been affiliated with Loudoun County Fire and Rescue since 2016, officials said.
Read more updates on the investigation here.
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“I’d say this is the worst call we can respond to, and this is a time when we need to support each other and hold each other,” Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Asst. Chief James Williams said.
“The house is pretty much leveled,” a firefighter said on a dispatch call.
“Total devastation," Williams said. "There’s a debris field well into the street and into the neighborhood.”
Chopper4 footage showed a lot covered by shattered wood and charred rubble. The house was almost entirely leveled and smoldering, except for what appeared to be a chimney standing multiple stories high. The force of the explosion sent debris flying into the branches of nearby trees.
It wasn't immediately clear if the residents were home at the time of the blast or who called first responders for a gas leak.
Leaking propane tank found before Sterling home explosion
Loudoun County Fire responded to a call about a natural gas smell at about 7:40 p.m. and found a 500-gallon underground propane tank with a leak near a home, Loudoun County Fire said. Officials called in Loudoun County’s Hazardous Materials Response Team and other first responders.
The explosion happened shortly after firefighters responded.
Multiple firefighters were trapped. Rescuers pulled them from debris, officials said.
Eleven first responders, including other firefighters, were taken to hospitals to treat their injuries, Loudoun County officials said Saturday. Two civilians were taken to hospitals and are expected to survive.
The injuries to the firefighters range from serious to less severe, Williams said.
Four first responders remained hospitalized on Saturday morning, officials said.
"The Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office remains on scene and continues to investigate the origin and cause of the explosion. This is believed to be an isolated incident and there is no ongoing danger to the community," officials said Saturday morning.
Washington Gas went to the scene to assist in the investigation.
"We are verifying the integrity of our system in the surrounding area," the utility said in a statement. "Our hearts go out to those who were injured and to the Loudoun County Fire department for the loss of one of their own."
“It’s a huge physical and emotional toll on everyone associated with the fire department,” Williams said.
"It was very smoky; there was debris falling from the sky," neighbor Kyleigh Krishreck said.
She said it felt like something struck her house.
Several neighbors said their homes were damaged by the explosion as well.
Loudoun County Fire and Rescue asked the public to keep Brown's loved ones in mind.
"Please keep Firefighter Brown’s family, friends, and colleagues in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time, and we ask that the family’s privacy be respected," the agency said.
News of the firefighter's death reverberated throughout the first responder community.
"Please pray for our brothers and sisters in Loudoun County as they mourn the death of one of their own last night in a tragic incident," Fairfax Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 77 said.
"Our hearts are heavy as the horrific events of this evening come to light," Leesburg police said.
"Our deepest sympathies go out to the families and loved ones effected by the tragedy," the Pittsburgh firefighters' union said.
Northbound Silver Ridge Drive was closed at Seneca Ridge Drive, the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office said.
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