A 500-gallon underground propane tank was found at a Virginia home that exploded Friday, killing one firefighter and injuring others, officials said Saturday.
Loudoun County Fire and Rescue were called to the home in Sterling around 7:40 p.m. for a gas leak, Chief Keith Johnson said at a news conference.
The tank was leaking propane that “had migrated into the homes,” he said. Firefighters were inside when the home exploded, Fire and Rescue Assistant Chief of Operations James Williams previously said.
“Total devastation,” is how Williams described the scene and damage. “There’s a debris field well into the street and into the neighboring homes.”
Officials initially said nine firefighters suffered injuries that ranged from serious to less severe. Loudoun County Fire said Saturday that at least 10 people had been injured, including two occupants of the home who suffered minor injuries.
The occupants and their pets were removed from the residence by firefighters, officials said. Four first responders remain in the hospital.
The firefighter who was killed was identified Saturday as Trevor Brown, 45, of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company.
“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 post on X.
Johnson said they have not yet determined a “complete cause” of the explosion.
“We can assume it was propane-related, but no complete cause has been initiated,” he said.
The fire is under investigation by the Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office, supported by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Utility Washington Gas was at the scene and assisted in the investigation.
Sterling is a community of around 30,000 in Loudoun County, west of Washington, D.C.