One of the firefighters who was injured in the Friday night home explosion that killed a volunteer firefighter in Sterling, Virginia, has been released from the hospital, according to Loudoun County Fire and Rescue. Three firefighters remain hospitalized in stable condition. Bomb-like devastation, surrounded by police tape, remained Monday in the residential neighborhood on Silver Ridge Drive. Neighbors and others who were curious approached the police line, and stared at the scope of the ruin. Heavy machinery, including front loaders removed layers of what’s left of the home that exploded and collapsed. Investigators have been gathering firefighters’ gear that was being worn Friday. It will be sent for analysis, for inclusion in a Significant Incident Report — a thorough after-action, headed by regional fire and rescue peers. The Loudoun fire department and fire marshal, in addition to the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, continue to investigate the cause of the explosion.
Heavy machinery is being used to dig out what’s left of home that exploded Friday night in Sterling. pic.twitter.com/qA1Qwe7hBY
— Neal Augenstein (@AugensteinWTOP) February 19, 2024
Firefighters found a leaking 500-gallon underground propane tank when they were summoned to the location Friday for a reported gas leak, the department said in a Saturday news release. The explosion happened “a short time later,” the department said. Two people who lived in the home, as well as some pets, were evacuated before the explosion, according to Loudoun Fire. Trevor Brown, 45, of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Department was killed in the explosion. He had been affiliated with the Loudoun County Combined Fire and Rescue System since 2016. On its Facebook page, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue posted a link to the Loudoun First Responders Foundation for donations for the firefighters: “To designate your donation specifically to the family of Firefighter Trevor Brown, please add ‘Brown Family’ in memo line, if not specified, your donations will benefit injured firefighters.” Funeral plans for Brown are being finalized by the Sterling fire department, Loudoun officials said on Sunday.