Former propane worker charged in Virginia house explosion that killed firefighter

STERLING, Va. (AP) — A former employee of a propane supplier has been charged in the death of a volunteer firefighter who died while responding to a Virginia house explosion in February, officials said Tuesday.

Roger Bentley was charged Monday with involuntary manslaughter and unlawful discharge of hazardous materials, Loudoun County Fire and Rescue said in a statement.

Bentley was also charged with failing to maintain required records regarding unauthorized releases of hazardous materials and unlawful failure to control or mitigate unauthorized releases of hazardous materials.

Online court records did not show whether Bentley had an attorney to speak on his behalf about the charges filed Tuesday.

A house explosion in Sterling resulted in the death of volunteer firefighter Trevor Brown, serious injuries to 11 first responders and $2.5 million in damages, Loudoun County officials said. Brown was married with three children and had worked for the county fire department since 2016, officials said.

Firefighters arrived at the suburban Washington, D.C., home to investigate a gas odor, officials said. They discovered a leaking 500-gallon underground propane tank at the side of the residence, officials said.

Shortly after their arrival, the house exploded and caught fire, with multiple calls for help coming from firefighters trapped inside. Crews rushed to try to save them from the debris that covered them.

Two people inside the home were escorted out of the house before the explosion and suffered minor injuries from the blast.

Investigators determined the explosion was caused by the leak, the fire department’s statement said. Uncontained propane migrated into and around the structure and was ignited by something that has not been identified, the release said.

Bentley is a former employee of Southern States Cooperative, Inc.-Leesburg-Fairfax Petroleum Service. In a statement provided to WTOP-TVthe company said it was fully cooperating with investigations into the explosion.

“Based on our own internal investigation into the incident and a thorough review of our safety protocols and training, particularly regarding the handling of propane in accordance with the industry’s energy compliance manual, we “We have made what we believe to be appropriate personnel changes in the region and we are moving forward with a renewed commitment to ensuring our procedures and training are rigorous and robust,” the company statement said.