Honor Firefighter Trevor Brown: Memorial Fund
Donation protected
- Bottom Line Up Front:
On February 16, 2024, a home explosion occurred in the Seneca Ridge Community of Sterling, VA. This explosion took the life of Trevor Brown, Sterling Volunteer Fire Company and seriously injured these first responders:
- Firefighter Nancy Cortez, Sterling Volunteer Fire Company
- Firefighter Brian Diamond, Sterling Volunteer Fire Company
- Firefighter Steve Keesler, Sterling Volunteer Fire Company & Round Hill Volunteer Fire Rescue Department
- Lieutenant Chris Kerkstra, Loudoun County Fire Rescue
- Advanced EMT Alison Key, Sterling Volunteer Fire Company & Round Hill Volunteer Fire Rescue Department
- Technician Scott Key, Sterling Volunteer Fire Company & Round Hill Volunteer Fire Rescue Department
- Technician Jamie Lockhart, Sterling Volunteer Fire Company
- Captain Karam Mashaal, Sterling Volunteer Fire Company
- Firefighter Allison Orlowski, Loudoun County Fire Rescue
The Seneca Ridge community wants to establish a memorial park to honor Firefighter Trevor Brown and all the other first responders injured in service to protect our community. In order to achieve that we need the funds to purchase the property. The money from this fundraiser will be used to defray all the costs to establish a small Quiet Green Space Park. Including but not limited to the purchase price, closing costs, legal fees, construction, landscaping, operations & maintenance. Steven Honard, will use the funds from this GoFundMe to pay for these costs.
Google (Sterling explosion 2024)
(This is the only sanctioned GoFundMe for this memorial effort)
- The Whole Story:
February 16, 2024! A peaceful evening was brought to a horrific end when an explosion shook the entire small community of Seneca Ridge and surrounding neighborhoods.
The explosion that totally destroyed the corner home at 347 Silver Ridge Dr. was caused by a leaking 500 lb. propane tank. Moments before a concerned passerby notified the owner that he smelled gas. The owner contacted 911 and multiple units from the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company were dispatched to investigate. The firefighters quickly evacuated the home and took the actions they were trained to do. Soon after the last person was evacuated, something ignited the gas and the house exploded!
As a result of the explosion, 2 civilians and 12 Firefighters were significantly injured including the Line of Duty Death (LODD) of Firefighter Trevor Brown of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company.
This was the first incident of LODD in the history of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company.
This incident completely transformed the life of Trevor’s surviving wife and three young children, the injured firefighters on shift that night, and all the responding First Responders who assisted in the rescue and recovery efforts that evening. Trevor Brown will never get to see his family or his fellow fire fighters again.
It also changed the lives of the residents of this small community of 182 homes. Not a day goes by when we are not reminded of the heroism and sacrifice that occurred on that February evening. We drive or walk by the incident site every day.
It is now fall. The investigation is over, the rubble is gone and the empty lot remains. The owner must sell the lot and move forward in life. However, many see this lot as sacred ground and do not feel it is appropriate to rebuild a house there. They would like to have space set aside to honor and memorialize Trevor’s ultimate sacrifice, and the trials and tribulations of the other first responders present that night who responded to the community’s call for help.
With positive support from the Brown family we are launching this GoFundMe to raise funds to purchase the property at Lot Price and fund other legal and operational costs required to establish a Quiet Green Space Park to honor Trevor Brown and all the firefighters who volunteer their time and in this case a life.
Organizer
Steven Honard
Organizer
Sterling, VA