After a home explosion in Sterling, Virginia, left one firefighter dead and four others hospitalized, the D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation stepped up to support those first responders and their families.
Loudoun County fire officials said 11 firefighters were injured when a home on Silver Ridge Drive exploded on Feb. 16. Investigators said crews responded to the area after reports of a strong odor and located a 500 pound propane tank leaking underground.
Trevor Brown of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company was killed in the blast. Two other first responders suffered severe burns after being trapped under rubble, and a fourth was also hurt.
Jason Woods, president of the D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation, said it’s precisely after these tragedies that the foundation answers the call.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
“It truly is a brother and sisterhood,” he said.
The organization supports injured firefighters and their families by helping out with hotels, meals and even covering parking, which can add up.
“So I went from my home and went into Medstar Washington Hospital Center to be there when the firefighters got there,” Woods said. “We know that they are getting amazing care. What we really focus on is supporting the family.”
Days after the deadly explosion, three wounded firefighters headed home. One remains at the hospital’s burn center. Woods said the foundation will be there for his family as long as he needs it.
“Once they leave the hospital, these scars and the traumatic effects, the psychological effects of these injuries, can stay with them for years,” he said. “The impact of these injuries. They can last months. They can last years. They can last a lifetime.”
While those firefighters continue on their road to recovery, investigators received a helping hand from the feds.
On Tuesday, Loudoun County Fire Chief Keith Johnson told the county’s board of supervisors that the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health will join the team.
“Truly, it’s really an entity that assists with our investigation and finds out from A to Z what our department did right, what we did well and if anything what we can do better,” Johnson said.
The chief said it will take months for the team of investigators to complete their report.
For more information on the D.C. Firefighters Burn Foundation, visit their website. The Loudoun First Responders Foundation is also supporting Trevor Brown’s family.
