A massive house explosion in Northern Virginia's Loudoun County Friday night killed one firefighter and injured 11 other firefighters and two civilians, officials said.
During a Saturday morning press conference, Keith Johnson, director of the Loudoun County Integrated Fire and Rescue System, said 911 operators received a report of a gas odor in the Sterling, Virginia, area around 7:30 p.m. He said that crews had arrived at the scene. Around 7:50 p.m., they discovered a 500-pound underground propane tank leaking, Johnson said.
Johnson said propane from the leak “got into the house.” Firefighters assessed the situation, evacuated the homeowner and pets, and entered the home.
Johnson said the “catastrophic explosion” occurred at 8:25 p.m. Johnson said multiple mayday calls were reported for firefighters trapped inside the building, and firefighters outside the home were also injured.
“Once we arrived, firefighters were inside and the house exploded,” Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Department Deputy Chief James Williams said Friday. Aerial footage from CBS affiliate WUSA-TV showed widespread debris from the explosion, heavy flames and plumes of smoke rising hundreds of feet into the air. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Saturday there was “significant damage” to the home. Other nearby homes were also damaged.
WUSA-TV
Ten firefighters were taken to local hospitals. Two residents of the home also suffered minor injuries, Johnson said. As of Saturday morning, four firefighters were still hospitalized with “various levels of injury,” Johnson said. All four are expected to survive.
The deceased firefighter was identified Saturday morning as Trevor Brown, 45, who worked for the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company. Brown had been with the county fire rescue system since 2016. Brown is survived by his wife and three children, Johnson said. Johnson said an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
“In a way, we lost a family member. We lost one ourselves,” Johnson said. Johnson said a team from the county Fire and Rescue System is assisting Brown's family and helping plan a funeral in accordance with the family's wishes.
Johnson said it was a miracle that only one firefighter was killed in the explosion.
Johnson said the investigation into the origin and cause of the explosion will be conducted by Fire Marshal's staff. He said it was believed to be “propane related,” but the cause has not yet been determined.
Mr Johnson said a separate incident investigation team of outside fire and rescue officials would “objectively examine” the response to the explosion.
Johnson urged anyone who smells gas to call 911, saying the occupants of the home are still alive because they did. The propane tank was isolated from the home, so the problem is not expected to be widespread.
Local power company Washington Gas said in a statement to CBS News that it is “verifying the integrity of the system in the surrounding area,” but Johnson said that, to his knowledge, propane is not coming from Washington Gas. He said it was not supplied. Johnson did not give his name, but he said the company that supplied the propane would also be investigated as part of the investigation.
Sterling is located approximately 40 miles northwest of Washington, DC.
