Explosion in Sterling Apartment Complex Displaces 21

Editor's note: the following comes from a press release from Loudoun County Fire-Rescue Services. It has not been edited.

On Thursday, August 11^th, 2011 at approximately 8:20am, Loudoun County Fire Rescue Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call for an apartment fire at 46101 Ingomar Terrace in Sterling.  Fire-Rescue units from Cascades, Sterling Park, Lansdowne and Ashburn arrived on the scene to find light smoke showing from a four story garden apartment building.

As crews approached the structure, they noticed significant damage to a rear exterior wall and upon further investigation, determined an explosion had occurred.  Once inside the structure, fire crews extinguished remaining hotspots and began overhaul and ventilation. The bulk of the fire had been extinguished by the building residential sprinkler system prior to fire rescue’s arrival.  

The residents were evacuated safely from the structure as investigators from the Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office and Loudoun County Building Inspectors assessed the scene.  Eleven of the sixteen units in the building were affecting and their residents displaced. The American Red Cross is assisting 21 individuals with temporary accommodations.  No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported. 

The Loudoun County Fire Marshal’s Office has determined the incident to be accidental. Inspectors on the scene concluded that a hot water heater shifted, causing a gas leak which initiated the explosion. Damages to the building and its’ affected units is estimated at $300,000.