One firefighter was killed and several others were injured in a fire in Virginia.
Loudoun County Fire and Rescue crews responded to the home in Sterling about 7:40 p.m. to investigate, and firefighters were inside when the home exploded, said James Williams, assistant chief of fire and rescue operations.
“Total devastation,” Williams described the incident and damage. “There’s a rubbish dump down the street and up to the neighboring houses.”
Injuries for the nine firefighters ranged from serious to less serious, Williams said.
The dead firefighter was not immediately identified. Next of kin were notified Thursday, Williams said.
Williams was asked about neighbors who smelled gas, but would not confirm if firefighters were there to investigate the gas leak.
The volunteer fire department at Sterling on X said personnel were responding to a gas leak on that road at the time of the explosion.
He said the fire is being investigated by the Loudoun County Fire Department with support from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The fire is expected to continue and is still an active scene, Williams said Friday evening.
“When I addressed the firefighting team, I said, ‘This is the worst call we’ve ever had to respond to. And this is when we need to support each other and hold each other up.'”
Utility Washington Gas said it was on the scene and assisting with the investigation.
“We are checking the integrity of our system nearby. Our thoughts are with the injured and the Loudoun County Fire Department,” the company said. In a statement about X.
Sterling is a community of approximately 30,000 people in Loudoun County, western Washington.