A devastating gas leak explosion in Northern Virginia killed a firefighter on Friday evening. Loudon County Fire and Rescue officials identified 45-year-old Trevor Brown from the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company as the sole victim of the catastrophic explosion.
Brown had worked for the volunteer squad since 2016 and leaves behind a wife and three children. Loudoun County Fire Chief Keith Johnson noted that the department is actively working to honor the courageous firefighter.
According to a social media post from Loudon Fire Rescue, “The fallen firefighter from last night’s home explosion in Sterling has been identified as Firefighter Trevor Brown, 45, of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company. He has been affiliated with the LC-CFRS since 2016.”
“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,” Loudoun County Fire and Rescue said in a wrote on X.
The fire chief noted how saddening the loss of Brown is, explaining he was far more than just a volunteer firefighter. “We lost a family member, we lost one of our own,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s career or volunteer, we lost a family member.”
However, Johnson noted the “miracle” that more people were killed, given how powerful the explosion was that completely leveled a house and injured over a dozen others. “Fourteen people injured. Our folks were in that house when it exploded. And that’s a miracle,” said Johnson. “I just spoke with the homeowner with a minor injury, and we saved her. So our folks did their job. They showed up, and they did what they had to do. We prepare for this.”
The fire department responded to calls regarding a gas leak that had evolved into a structure fire around 7:40 on Friday evening. Soon after emergency services responded to the scene, the house exploded into a pile of rubble.
According to reports, a 500-gallon underground propane tank underneath the house had begun leaking into the home. Fire and Rescue Assistant Chief of Operations James Williams noted the sheer scale of the damage caused by the leak. “Total devastation,” Williams said. “There’s a debris field well into the street and into the neighboring homes.”
The event remains under investigation by the Loudon County Fire Marshal’s Office, with assistance from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. According to Fire Chief Johnson, a “complete cause” has not yet been determined.
“As a result of last night’s incident, emergency medical services personnel from Loudoun and Fairfax Counties identified 13 patients in addition to the fatally injured Firefighter Brown. This includes 11 first responders and two civilians with varying degree of injuries,” Loudon Fire Rescue posted on X.
“Of the injured first responders, four remain hospitalized at local area hospitals. The Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident and additional information will be released as available,” the department continued.
Note: The featured image is a screenshot from the embedded video.
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