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This is not the first time a home has exploded in Plum Borough. People who live along Rustic Ridge Drive say that when the explosion happened, it was the loudest sound they've ever heard. "Police and other borough staff have had to respond to ask that individuals leave the area. We again reiterate – If you do not live in the area and do not have any reason to be there, please stay away from the area," the county said. Crews completed additional system testing with the Allegheny County fire marshal and Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission on Tuesday night, Peoples Gas said.
Plum house explosion: Pennsylvania DEP investigating pinhole-sized leak behind homes
Per state law, the Fire Marshal’s Office will determine the explosion’s origin and cause at the end of its investigation. There is no time frame for when the investigation will be complete. As of Friday, the Fire Marshal’s Office had completed scene safety and security, additional agency notifications, witness statements and interviews, and processing of the incident site. First responders found people trapped under debris, Downs said. Recovery operations were halted on Saturday afternoon due to severe weather in the region.
WTAE Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania house explosion victims named; county says house had 'hot water tank issues' - USA TODAY
Pennsylvania house explosion victims named; county says house had 'hot water tank issues'.
Posted: Tue, 15 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Baltimore County officials said firefighters were called to a two-alarm house fire and explosion on Crafton Road just after 11 p.m. “This is certainly a sad, sad day and a sad time, for not just the folks in Plum but all the folks in the community and in this region,” said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald. Steve Imbarlina, assistant chief of Allegheny County Emergency Services, said two people have been released from the hospital, while one remains at the hospital in critical condition. Negrin says members of his department will be in Plum for the duration of the investigation and it may start to get a clearer picture of what happened soon. Negrin said the governor has ordered the results of all of the samples taken to be expedited, which means those results could be coming in as early as the end of this week. PLUM, Pa. (KDKA) — The secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said the agency is determined to find out the cause of the deadly house explosion in Plum.
New details emerge in Pa. house explosion investigation: DEP
Sunday, the event is being held — for the first time — at the Crucible Building at 3011 Smallman St. To learn the details, visit augustwilsonbirthdaycelebration.com. Legendary Pittsburgh playwright August Wilson will be celebrated with a birthday block party this Saturday. Held at the August Wilson House, 1727 Bedford Ave. in the Hill District, the event will include food trucks, live music, games, contests and more. There will be other live entertainment, too, including lip-sync battles and performers.
Safety Investigation Ongoing Following Deadly House Explosion in Plum Borough, Allegheny County
Paul and Heather Oravitz, Kevin Sebunia, Mike Thomas and Casey and Keegan Clontz were killed in the explosion. The Plum Borough officials and the Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner identified them as Casey Clontz, 38; his son, Keegan Clontz, 12; Heather Oravitz, 51; Kevin Sebunia, 55; and Michael Thomas, 57. Four adults and one adolescent were also recovered from the debris, officials said. Officials set up a Disaster Distress Helpline, and the Red Cross and the Salvation Army were assisting affected residents, the Allegheny County government Facebook post said. After he recovered and checked on his son, Kolankowski went outside, where a woman told him that another woman had been upstairs and that a man was in the basement. The other woman emerged later covered in white ash, but the person in the basement hadn’t yet exited, he said.

people arrested during warrant sweep in Washington County
"We have all of our resources here, including BGE, who runs our gas for the county," said Francis. "We're going to make sure that everything is safe in the neighborhood. We don't know what caused this so that'll be looked into." Francis said both fire officials and BGE are investigating reports from neighbors about a possible odor hours before the explosion. "We can't confirm if he was in the home or outside of the home. We do know originally, we had no injuries and then someone presented themselves to first responders on scene with injuries," Bureau Chief Travis Francis told 11 News. "He was immediately treated by our EMS crews and transported to the hospital." One man we spoke with says he rushed home when he heard the news.
Plum community continues to rebuild 3 months after tragic house explosion - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Plum community continues to rebuild 3 months after tragic house explosion.
Posted: Tue, 14 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The Public Utilities Commission says it’s monitoring these integrity tests. The PUC added that they’re investigating if public utility infrastructure or operations contributed to the cause and circumstances surrounding the explosion. On August 12, 2023, pipeline safety engineers responded to the scene of a reported explosion and house fire at 141 Rustic Ridge Drive in Plum.

“The tank was located in the basement of the home,” county officials said. The Allegheny County Office of the Medical Examiner said Paul Oravitz, 56, died Wednesday at an area hospital, Plum Borough and Allegheny County officials said in a news release. There also was another explosion in 1996 where natural gas was determined to be the cause.
Dead After House Explosion in Pennsylvania, Officials Say
Emergency responders reported people trapped under debris after the blast leveled one house and left two others engulfed in flames, county spokesperson Amie Downs said. Crews from at least 18 fire departments worked to douse the flames with the help of water tankers from Allegheny and Westmoreland counties. Emergency responders reported people trapped under debris after one house apparently exploded and two others were engulfed in flames, county spokesperson Amie Downs said. It is with great sorrow that I write about the devastating incident that occurred in our Rustic Ridge neighborhood. The house explosion resulted in the tragic loss of life felt across our community.
If residents aren't home, Peoples Gas said workers will leave a door hanger with customer service contact information and crews will be available on a 24/7 basis until service is fully restored. On Sunday night, an officer monitoring the site noticed that a hotspot had begun smoking. "This is certainly a sad day and sad time not just for the folks in Plum but all the folks in the community and in this region," Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said. Thomas was the borough manager and Heather Oravitz was the community development director. PLUM, Pa. (AP) — The co-owner of a home that exploded in western Pennsylvania last weekend has died from injuries he suffered in the blast, which also killed his wife and four other people. Walsh said the district will open its doors to students, staff and the community for support services.
Baltimore County Fire Department encourages anyone who smells gas or has any suspicion of it to call 911 immediately. Fire officials said investigators are working to determine who the man is in relation to the home. "You see this stuff, and when it's this close, you don't even know what to think. These are your neighbors ... you may not know them all, but this is a really tight community." The township, the fire marshal and Allegheny County emergency management were all present Sunday.
Video captured at the scene showed several homes on fire in the community of Rustic Ridge. During the initial response, 57 firefighters were treated on the scene for "minor issues" and all returned to duty that day, officials said. Officials were back at the scene Sunday morning, and a news conference was scheduled for noon, the Facebook post said.
"Right now, we just know someone was injured, had some burn injuries. We don't know how or if he was in the house or outside," Francis said. Neighbors told 11 News they saw a man walk out of the house, after it exploded. “Please give us some time to deal with this situation and give the families your respect and give them some space to deal with this tragedy,” Conley said. Watch the news conference with Allegheny County, Plum officials in the video above.
In a news conference Sunday, Plum Chief of Police Lanny Conley said the Allegheny County medical examiner had determined four adults and one adolescent child died from the explosion. Five people have died and one person remains in critical condition after a house explosion on Rustic Ridge Drive in Plum. The DEP has been working with local authorities and first responders since the explosion that killed six people on Aug. 12. The state agency has had a handful of experts on the ground collecting samples to determine any possible sources of methane in the area.
County officials publicly identified four victims in their 50s, as well as Casey Clontz, 38, and his 12-year-old son, Keegan, who were both visiting at the time. The explosion, which occurred in Plum, Pennsylvania, about 20 miles east of Pittsburgh, has killed six people, including a child, and left several homes damaged. According to authorities, at least three "structures" were destroyed with at least a dozen houses damaged, including windows blown out. Heavy equipment went through the destroyed houses before the rain moved in. Crews with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Allegheny County offices, and utility crews investigated. Three nearby homes were destroyed and a dozen other homes were damaged in the blast on Saturday.
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