Virginia House Explosion Leaves Firefighter Dead as Videos Show Devastation

An explosion at a Virginia home on Friday night left one firefighter dead and 11 others injured, including nine firefighters, according to officials.

Videos of the site of the explosion shared on social media show scenes of total devastation, with a plume of smoke rising from the ground where the house used to be. In a clip shared by Fox 5 DC anchor and reporter Shomari Stone on X, formerly known as Twitter, firefighters can be seen looking through the rubble.

In a statement to Newsweek, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue said that, at around 7:38 p.m. on Friday, the Loudoun County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a gas odor outside of a residence in the 300 block of Silver Ridge Drive in Sterling.

"Upon arrival, units from Sterling located a 500-gallon underground propane tank with a leak on the side of the residence and requested the Loudoun County's Hazardous Materials Response Team, as well as additional units from Sterling, South Riding, numerous Command Staff and Safety Officers," the department wrote in a statement.

A short time later, the explosion had occurred. "The fallen firefighter was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine the cause and manner of death. Additional information regarding the investigation will be released as appropriate," the department said.

In a press conference following the incident, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue assistant chief of operation, James Williams, described the scene of the incident as one of total devastation, with "a debris field well into the street and into neighboring homes."

Loudoun County Fire and Rescue confirmed the death of one of its members, writing on X: "It is with heavy heart that we announce the LODD of a LC-CFRS member in an incident that occurred earlier this evening. Fire and Rescue crews from Loudoun County, Fairfax County, and MWAA responded to a call for a gas leak on Silver Ridge Drive in Sterling."

The department said firefighters entered the home and "as they were investigating, a catastrophic explosion occurred, injuring several responders from LCFR, SVFC, & Fairfax." While the firefighter killed by the explosion was found dead on the scene, several others who were injured in the blast were transported to local hospitals for medical treatment, according to Loudoun County Fire and Rescue. WTOP News wrote that two of the people injured in the explosions are civilians. Their injuries are non-life-threatening, according to the department.

About three hours before the publication of this article, the department wrote that the site of the incident was considered an active scene with law enforcement and fire and rescue personnel investigating, together with the Loudoun County Fire Marshal's Office.

The department has not yet disclosed the identity of the deceased firefighter as their next of kins are notified of their death. Williams said that the incident brought a "huge physical and emotional toll on everyone associated with the fire department."

Rescue operations are likely to be complicated by the weather conditions in Sterling overnight, as the area is expecting snow.

Update, 2/17/24, 6:10 a.m. ET: This breaking news story was updated to include more details on the incident.

Update, 2/17/24, 10 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include a statement from Loudoun County Fire and Rescue.