A leaking propane tank caused a massive explosion that leveled a Sterling, Va., home, killed a firefighter and injured 13 others last week, according to the preliminary results of an investigation by the Loudoun County fire marshal’s office announced on Friday.
The propane leaked from a 500-gallon underground tank, seeping around and inside the home before a spark from an unknown source ignited the explosion, according to the findings. One of the injured, a firefighter, remained hospitalized as of Friday.
“This is an extremely complex investigation, and the incident will remain ‘Under Investigation’ until further notice,” the Loudoun fire department wrote in a news release. “The official cause classification will be communicated when the investigation is complete.”
Southern States said in a statement this week that it provided propane to the home, but declined to answer other questions related to the blast with the investigation ongoing.
Firefighters responded to the home in the 300 block of Silver Ridge Drive around 7:40 p.m. on Feb. 16 for a report of a gas leak. They found the leaking propane tank, which was underground on the side of the home, and called for a hazardous materials team, the fire department said.
Firefighters evacuated two residents and donned special suits before entering the home, the fire department said. Shortly before 8:30 p.m., the home exploded, killing Sterling Volunteer Fire Company firefighter Trevor Brown, 45.
Firefighters trapped beneath the debris of the home sent out mayday signals and crews on the scene rushed to extricate them. By 9:15 p.m., all of the firefighters had been accounted for and taken to local hospitals for treatment.
Brown’s funeral has been scheduled for March 4.
He is survived by a wife and three children. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) and President Biden reached out to the family in the wake of the tragedy, the fire department said.
