Shortly after crews arrived to extinguish a house fire, the home exploded with firefighters inside.
STERLING, Va. — A house explosion in Sterling left multiple people injured and one firefighter dead Friday night.
The Sterling Volunteer Fire Company posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that crews were called to Silver Ridge Drive for a gas leak shortly after 7:30 p.m. About half an hour later, crews were called to the same area for a structure fire.
In a press conference, Assistant Chief of Operations for Loudoun County Fire and Rescue James Williams said the explosion left “total devastation.”
Crews were called to the area just before 7:45 p.m. for a house fire, shortly after crews arrived, Williams said the house exploded with multiple firefighters inside.
Nine firefighters and two civilians were taken to area hospitals for help. A 10th firefighter was killed as a result of the explosion. They have not been identified as officials work to notify their next of kin. The remaining injured firefighters and civilians have injuries ranging from minor to severe, according to Williams.
“This is the worst call we could respond to, and this is a time where we need to support each other and hold each other up,” Williams said when asked about the firefighters.
Sky9 launched and gave an aerial view of the scene, which showed smoke and a huge debris field where the structure once stood. Williams said the debris field goes well into the street.
According to officials at the scene, crews responded to the gas leak before the catastrophic explosion but Williams said he could not confirm the gas leak and officials continue to search for the cause of the fire.
Washington Gas put out a statement on the explosion on Friday night.
“Washington Gas is on the scene and assisting the Loudoun County Fire and other authorities as the fire remains under investigation. We are verifying the integrity of our system in the surrounding area. Our hearts go out to those who were injured and to the Loudoun County Fire department for the loss of one of their own.”
It is expected to snow this weekend. Williams said the weather will make for an even more complicated scene.
This is the second time a home exploded in the commonwealth in less than three months. In December 2023, a home exploded in Arlington, just 30 minutes away from Sterling, shortly after officials said a man fired a flare gun inside the home 30-40 times. The moment that home exploded was captured on camera and shared across the country.
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