A Virginia firefighter is dead, and eleven others are injured after a home explosion obliterated a residence on Friday evening.
In a press conference, Loudon County Fire & Rescue Assistant Chief of Operations James Williams said that one firefighter is dead, nine firefighters, and two civilians are injured after the explosion "totally devastated" a home in northern Virginia.
Authorities said that at the time of the deadly explosion, firefighters were inside the home.
The Sterling Volunteer Fire Company posted on X that crews responded to reports of a gas leak that turned into a "structural fire" at the residence at 7:40 p.m. on Friday evening.
"Soon after arrival, the house did explode," Williams said.
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Williams said that the nine firefighters and two civilians were transported to local hospitals.
He said that some had serious injuries.
Officials did not identify the firefighter killed in the blaze during the press conference but did say that the community was deeply affected by the incident.
"It’s a huge physical and emotional toll on everyone associated with the fire department. Obviously, the people who are trapped, the rescuers that are going in to try to pull them out, the incident commander," Williams said.
Residents said that they heard an "enormous boom" that "shook" their entire home.
"Enormous boom shook the whole house just now. Ran upstairs, outside with flashlights and all the neighbors were doing the same," one Sterling resident told FOX 5. "Apparently, a house exploded on a street nearby."
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Photos from the scene showed a large law enforcement presence battling a fire among the home's rubble amid thick plumes of smoke.
According to FOX 5, the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company reported that they are being assisted by Fairfax Fire and Rescue Department and the Ashburn Fire Department.
The Luray Fire Department took to Facebook in support of their fellow firefighters, writing, "Please keep Loudoun County Firefighters in your thoughts and prayers."
