A jury trial is set for the former employee charged in the February home explosion that killed one volunteer firefighter and injured 13 more people. He is facing a felony charge of involuntary manslaughter and three other misdemeanors relating to the unlawful transfer, release, maintenance, and control of liquid petroleum gas. The worker, 67, has been released on a $5,000 unsecured bond and is prohibited from dispensing propane until the trial.
According to court documents, he handled propane without the required certification.
On Feb. 16 Loudoun County Fire and Rescue units responded to a 911 call about a gas leak in a Sterling home at 7:38 p.m. According to court documents, when they arrived, firefighters smelled propane in the air and evacuated residents from the home. Fifty minutes later, the home exploded, trapping several firefighters in its debris. Volunteer firefighter Trevor Brown died at the scene.
It was determined that a propane leak stemmed from an underground 500-gallon tank ignited by an unknown source. According to a search warrant, the worker had assessed the tank earlier that day and decided to let the tank leak out the remaining propane and have it seep out of the ground. He said crews would return to the home on Feb. 26 to address the issue.
He faces up to 10 years in prison on the involuntary manslaughter charge.