Virginia firefighter dead and 12 other people injured following house explosion

A house exploded in Sterling, Virginia, leaving one firefighter dead and 10 others injured along with two civilians on Friday evening. 

The explosion was caused by a leaking propane tank, according to NBC Washington. 

The Sterling Volunteer Fire Company said that crews responded to multiple calls regarding a gas leak that escalated to a "structural fire."

"Soon after arrival, the house did explode," Loudon County Fire & Rescue Assistant Chief of Operations James Williams said, according to Fox News.

“Total devastation," Williams said, referring to the house. "There’s a debris field well into the street and into the neighborhood.”

He said that the 10 injured firefighters and two civilians had to be transported to local hospitals, adding that there were some serious injuries. 

As of now the firefighter who died has not been identified. 

Fire departments from different counties in Virginia have been assisting the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company.

"It’s a huge physical and emotional toll on everyone associated with the fire department," Williams said, according to Fox News. "Obviously, the people who are trapped, the rescuers that are going in to try to pull them out, the incident commander."