When a big propane tank was discovered to be leaking, a devastating house explosion occurred in Sterling, Virginia, on Friday night, killing one firefighter and injuring thirteen more, according to Loudoun County Fire and Rescue.

The responding fire department received numerous mayday calls for the explosion in the 300 block of Silver Ridge Drive. One of the calls mentioned that a fireman was “trapped by debris.”

Loudoun County Fire and Rescue said on Saturday that Trevor Brown, a 45-year-old firefighter with the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company, had passed away. Since 2016, he has been connected to Loudoun County Fire and Rescue, according to officials.

In the news release, the fire department asked that the family’s privacy be respected and that you please keep Firefighter Brown’s family, friends, and coworkers in your thoughts and prayers at this terrible time.

In addition to Brown, 13 injured patients were recognized by emergency medical services personnel in Loudoun and Fairfax counties. These patients included two civilians and 11 first responders with “varying degrees of injuries,” the release stated.

When firefighters arrived on the site, they discovered a 500-gallon underground propane tank leaking, according to a news release issued by Loudoun County Fire & Rescue on Saturday.

Loudoun Fire and Rescue System Chief Keith Johnson’s Statement On Explosion

Chief of the Loudoun Fire and Rescue System Keith Johnson said that four of the firefighters injured in the explosion were still in hospitals on Saturday morning. According to Johnson, all four are anticipated to live.

Johnson said on Saturday that they had lost both a family member and a personal one. Quite bluntly, Johnson continued, “They were lucky to have only one fatality, and their folks were inside that house when it exploded, so they did what had to be done.”

Johnson stated that although the cause of the explosion has not been identified, investigators may presume that propane played a role. He said that fuel had seeped inside the house from the 500-gallon tank outside the building.

According to Johnson, the two residents of the house as well as their dogs were taken out when firemen wearing the proper PPE entered the house. Units on the scene reported a “catastrophic explosion” just before 8:30 p.m., trapping firemen inside the house and injuring others outside.

According to Johnson, the first step involved checking the house for occupants and ensuring everyone had left. The second step was controlling the leak. He went on to say that trying to contain the gas leak was their responsibility. The house resident received praise from the chief for calling 911 after smelling gas.

James Williams, the assistant chief of Loudoun County Fire & Rescue, stated that it was the worst call they could have responded to and that they needed to hold and support one another at this difficult time.

During a dispatch call, a firefighter reported that the house was nearly destroyed.

According to Williams, there was destruction, with a debris field extending deep into the neighborhood and the roadway.

The footage from Chopper4 revealed a lot of burned debris and broken timber. The home was mostly flattened and smoking, except for what seemed like a multi-story-tall chimney. Debris flew into the branches of trees nearby due to the explosion’s ferocity.

To pinpoint the precise cause of the explosion, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Department has partnered with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

According to the press release, the community was not in continuous risk and this was thought to be an isolated incident.

During the press conference, officials did not reveal the identity of the fireman who died in the event, but they did state that the incident had a significant impact on the local community, including peers in neighboring jurisdictions.

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