Current:Home > InvestLeaking underground propane tank found at Virginia home before deadly house explosion -StockLine
Leaking underground propane tank found at Virginia home before deadly house explosion
View
Date:2025-04-17 14:50:58
STERLING, Va. (AP) — When firefighters arrived at a home in a Washington, D.C., suburb to investigate a report about a gas smell Friday night, they discovered a 500-gallon underground propane tank with a leak on the side of the residence.
A short time later, the house exploded and burst into flames, with multiple mayday calls coming from the firefighters trapped inside. Crews rushed in to try to rescue them from the debris that covered them, but one firefighter was killed and nine others were injured, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue officials said in a news release.
The origin and cause of the explosion is under investigation. Authorities did not say if they believe the propane tank leak caused the explosion.
James Williams, assistant chief of operations, said the firefighters’ injuries range from limited to severe. Two other people were also injured and treated at hospitals for injuries that were not life-threatening.
Williams described damage to the home in Sterling as “total devastation.”
“There’s a debris field well into the street and into the neighboring homes,” he said Friday during a news conference.
Sterling is located about 22 miles (35 kilometers) northwest of Washington, D.C.
In a news release Saturday, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue said the emergency communications center received a 911 call reporting a gas odor shortly after 7:30 p.m. Friday. After firefighters found the leak in the underground propane tank, they requested a hazardous materials response team and additional units and safety officers. The house exploded a short time later.
A neighbor, John Padgett, told ABC7 News that he had smelled gas while walking his dog earlier.
The blast shook his home, he said.
“It looked like an inferno,” and insulation from the burning home fell like ash, he added. “It was horrific; it looked like something out of a war zone.”
Washington Gas issued a statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, saying it has company representatives on the scene and is assisting Loudoun County fire officials and other authorities in the investigation.
“We are verifying the integrity of our system in the surrounding area,” the company said. “Our hearts go out to those who were injured and to the Loudoun County Fire department for the loss of one of their own.”
The Loudoun County Fire and Rescue Fire Marshal’s Office was also on the scene Saturday and is investigating the origin and cause of the explosion.
“This is believed to be an isolated incident and there is no ongoing danger to the community,” Loudoun County Fire and Rescue said in a statement.
The body of the firefighter who died was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine the cause and manner of death.
veryGood! (29474)
Related
- From family road trips to travel woes: Americans are navigating skyrocketing holiday costs
- Disney-DirecTV dispute: ESPN and other channels go dark on pay TV system
- 4 killed, 2 injured in Hawaii shooting; shooter among those killed, police say
- Jason Duggar Is Engaged to Girlfriend Maddie Grace
- 'No Good Deed': Who's the killer in the Netflix comedy? And will there be a Season 2?
- 1 teen killed, 4 others wounded in shooting near Ohio high school campus after game
- Is the stock market open or closed on Labor Day? See full 2024 holiday schedule
- American road cyclist Elouan Gardon wins bronze medal in first Paralympic appearance
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- It Ends With Us’ Justin Baldoni Shares Moving Message to Domestic Abuse Survivors
Ranking
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- Have you seen this dress? Why a family's search for a 1994 wedding gown is going viral
- Adele Announces Lengthy Hiatus From Music After Las Vegas Residency Ends
- Cause probed in partial collapse of bleachers that injured 12 at a Texas rodeo arena
- Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
- Storm sets off floods and landslides in Philippines, leaving at least 9 dead
- Rapper Fatman Scoop dies at 53 after collapsing on stage in Connecticut
- Federal workers around nation’s capital worry over Trump’s plans to send some of them elsewhere
Recommendation
Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
California lawmakers seek more time to consider energy proposals backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom
AI may not steal many jobs after all. It may just make workers more efficient
Man charged with murder in connection to elderly couple missing from nudist ranch: Police
Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
Mississippi bus crash kills 7 people and injures 37
Border arrests are expected to rise slightly in August, hinting 5-month drop may have bottomed out
American road cyclist Elouan Gardon wins bronze medal in first Paralympic appearance