.png)
Lt. Chris Kerkstra was the T611 officer who was trapped in the basement and required an extensive tunneling operation to be freed.
LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. — On Wednesday, the Loudoun County Fire Department took to X to announce the highly anticipated return of a crew member following the catastrophic home explosion in Sterling earlier this year.
Lieutenant Chris Kerkstra returned to work after months of recovery from the deadly home explosion that claimed the life of fellow fighter Trevor Brown.
In February, firefighters were called to Silver Ridge Drive after neighbors reported a strong smell of gas. Upon arrival, officials found that a 500-gallon propane tank had been leaking all day. The owners of the home were able to evacuate safely, just before the house exploded.
Multiple maydays, a distress signal used to report when a firefighter is lost, trapped, injured, or missing, were placed following the catastrophic explosion. Rescue crews began to search through the rubble to find the trapped firefighters under the debris that covered them.
Lt. Kerkstra was the T611 officer who was trapped in the basement and required an extensive tunneling operation to be freed. He was able to walk out on his own once there was a path made to get out.
"Thank you to the DC Firefighters Burn Foundation and the MedStar ICU staff for taking such great care of his wife Jamie and continuing to care for Diamond family," the Facebook post says.
The explosion, which happened on Silver Ridge Drive, left 45-year-old firefighter Trevor Brown dead and injured 12 people. Of those injured, 10 were first responders and two were civilians.
English (US) ·