STERLING, Va. — It was one of the most devastating house explosions in DMV history. A blast so powerful it shook the ground in Loudoun County, leaving one firefighter dead and 12 other people injured.
Tuesday, investigators said they were acting against the propane company at the center of the blast, halting all deliveries within the county until further notice.
The explosion happened Feb. 16 in Sterling. A home was reduced to a pile of burning debris and 45-year-old Sterling Volunteer Firefighter Trevor Brown died when a leaking 500-gallon underground propane tank sparked an explosion. Ten other firefighters and two residents of the home were hurt.
A preliminary investigation by the Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office showed the propane tank was leaking into and around the home and was sparked by a still unknown ignition source. Tuesday, the Fire Marshal’s Office said they are still trying to determine where that spark came from.
But in the meantime, the Fire Marshal has ordered that propane company, Southern States Cooperative, LLC., to review and update the company’s fire code related information. The Fire Marshal also ordered the company to stop delivering or transferring propane within Loudoun County until it completes its fire code updates.
The Fire Marshal added Loudoun County residents who are Southern States customers may experience interruptions to their normal propane service delivery while the company gets into compliance, adding the two sides hope to have the updates completed as quickly as possible to help reduce the impact on the community.
The Fire Marshal’s Office did not offer a specific timeline and a spokesperson said no additional information was available. Southern States Cooperative also did not immediately respond to a call from WUSA9 seeking comment.
The Fire Marshal said this remains an extremely complex investigation, and that the house explosion will remain under investigation until further notice, adding their office will release the official cause as soon as that investigation is complete.