article

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation announced Veterans Day that it has paid off the mortgage on the Virginia home. Firefighter Trevor Browna member of the Sterling Volunteer Fire Company who died in a house explosion in February.

Brown, 45, responded to a report of a gas leak at a home on Silver Ridge Drive in Sterling on Feb. 16. Upon arrival, he and his team discovered a leak in a 500-gallon propane tank, an emergency that quickly escalated.

Shortly after, the house exploded, killing Brown and sending ten others to the hospital. Brown was inside the structure and working to ensure the safety of those in the area.

The veteran firefighter and former Marine is survived by his wife and their three children.

Through its Fallen First Responder Home program, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation paid off the mortgage on the family home, providing important support during an incredibly difficult time.

“I am very grateful for your help,” Ms. Brown said in a statement. “This is a huge burden that will allow us to focus on grieving, counseling and recovery.”

Frank Siller, president and CEO of Tunnel to Towers, praised Brown’s dedication to service.

“Firefighter Trevor Brown is a hero who dedicated his life to serving first as a Marine and then as a firefighter. Tunnel to Towers is honored to support the family he left behind and ensure so she can focus on her enormous grief, without having to worry about making another mortgage payment,” Siller said.