STERLING, Va. — Law enforcement in Loudoun County has tightly secured the scene where a house exploded and killed a volunteer firefighter.
Neighbors, and people who aren’t from the community, flocked to Silver Ridge Drive and Seneca Ridge Drive in Sterling where fire marshals continue to investigate the deadly incident.
Trevor Brown, 45, died while 10 other firefighters and two civilians were injured.
A spokesperson for Loudoun County Fire & Rescue said as of early Monday afternoon, five firefighters remained at the hospital in stable condition. Two of them were critical.
Loudoun County officials said the house exploded before 8:30 p.m. on Friday as firefighters were responding to a gas leak from an underground 500-gallon propane tank. Neighbors reported smelling a strong odor before they arrived.
About 30 minutes before the house explosion, a next-door neighbor was with homeowner Kelley Woods outside of the home. The neighbor, who wanted to remain anonymous, told WUSA9 that the propane tank was used for the pool.
“We literally ran out of the door because our front door blew off in front of the house and I was screaming, ‘Oh my God, the house is gone!’” the woman said. “I could've been standing there if I hadn't gone in my own house. That kind of freaks you out when you realize you were that close to something that scary.”
The woman said there was a glimmer of hope on Sunday night when firefighters found Woods’ cat alive in the rubble.
“It's devastating to know that our volunteer firefighters and our firefighters go to such a situation on every call not knowing what's going to happen,” Kim Covington told WUSA9.
Covington is from Central Virginia but wanted to stop by the scene on her way home to pay her respects. Her nephew is a volunteer firefighter.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Sherman and her family gave personnel working the scene posters and flowers to show their appreciation.
“I was standing in the kitchen when it sounded like a bomb went off,” Sherman said.
According to the American Red Cross disaster program manager, the organization is assisting the homeowner and the second resident who lived in the basement of the house. They’re also helping another family.
Three homes are marked uninhabitable.
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