Plum house explosion: Update from emergency officials

Table Of Content

• Plum house explosion: 4 dead, 1 unaccounted for, 3 homes destroyed
• Allegheny County Jail Guard From Plum Facing Charges
• dead, at least 3 hospitalized after home explosion in Plum
• PHOTOS: House explosion in Plum Borough
• Three homes destroyed, 12 others damaged in explosion on Rustic Ridge Drive in Plum
• Rustic Ridge homeowners whose houses were damaged by the house explosion could get tax relief

Three nearby homes were destroyed and a dozen other homes were damaged in the blast on Saturday. Borough Manager Michael Thomas, 57, was also killed in the blast. He lived one home over, but he was next door inside the home that exploded at the time. His wife, who is a teacher at Butler Area School District, daughter and their dog were in their home.

Plum house explosion: 4 dead, 1 unaccounted for, 3 homes destroyed

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Peoples Gas and other entities involved in the investigation of this incident. Three days after the deadly house explosion in Plum's Rustic Ridge neighborhood, crews investigated two gas leaks in Plum's Regency Park neighborhood on Tuesday. Thomas was the borough manager and Heather Oravitz was the community development director. PLUM, Pa. (KDKA) — A sixth person died after a house exploded in Plum borough's Rustic Ridge community exploded.

Allegheny County Jail Guard From Plum Facing Charges

Keegan’s attributes were many — kind, caring, strong and brave — but his hugs were legendary. He loved his sister, but especially when he was able to give her a hard time as only a brother can do. It’s no surprise that Keegan was with his father last Saturday morning. His family described him as Casey’s shadow — always alongside his father.

dead, at least 3 hospitalized after home explosion in Plum

Gas service has been shut off to about 50 neighborhood homes. At this time, officials are not releasing the identities of the victims or saying who owned the homes. Emergency officials suspended operations Saturday night due to weather and concern for the safety of investigators.

PHOTOS: House explosion in Plum Borough

Neighbor near fatal Plum house explosion can get house fixed but mourns loss of friends, wonders about the future - TribLIVE

Neighbor near fatal Plum house explosion can get house fixed but mourns loss of friends, wonders about the future.

Posted: Fri, 25 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

There also was another explosion in 1996 where natural gas was determined to be the cause. Despite this tragedy causing so much heartache, the community has been stepping up to help one another and first responders, donating things like food and water. Now technicians will go door to door to conduct a safety check and relight appliances. 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. In a release late Monday, the county said the home where the explosion happened was having "hot water tank issues." The tank was in the basement.

Three homes destroyed, 12 others damaged in explosion on Rustic Ridge Drive in Plum

Brian C. Rittmeyer is a TribLive reporter covering news in New Kensington, Arnold and Plum. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of Penn State University's Schreyer Honors College, Brian has been with the Trib since December 2000. The borough also has not yet received any applications for alterations to any houses there. Hubner said the Zarroli house isn’t as badly damaged as others in the vicinity because of where and how it sits. Hubner said the side of the house facing the explosion, which took most of the concussion, will need to be stripped to look for framing damage.

Fire marshal: Deadly Plum explosion originated inside Rustic Ridge home - WTAE Pittsburgh

Fire marshal: Deadly Plum explosion originated inside Rustic Ridge home.

Posted: Fri, 08 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Another person is still in critical condition at the hospital, and two others have since been released. First responders are done for the night, but police will remain on the scene securing the site. According to authorities, at least three "structures" were destroyed with at least a dozen houses damaged, including windows blown out.

A house exploded in Plum late Saturday morning, killing four people and injuring several others. Police said at least three people were taken to area hospitals with two in stable condition, both of whom have since been released. The third person remained in critical condition as of Saturday night. Any resident who has questions about gas service in the neighborhood can find updates here. Lanny Conley, the chief of the Plum Borough Police Department, said at a news conference Sunday afternoon that four adults and one adolescent had died and been recovered from the scene. The Safety Division appreciates the cooperation of Plum and Allegheny County, along with and various other local and state emergency agencies who have been part of the investigation, as well as residents and others impacted by this incident.

Rustic Ridge homeowners whose houses were damaged by the house explosion could get tax relief

Five people have died, including a teen, following a house explosion in Pennsylvania that caused multiple injuries and several house fires, officials told NBC News. Five people died and three others were injured after a house explosion on a suburban street in Pennsylvania on Saturday spread flames to several nearby homes, shattering windows and causing walls to crumble, the authorities said. It is important to note that I&E investigations are limited – by regulation – to the involvement of, or impact from, utilities and utility systems under the jurisdiction of the PUC, along with natural gas transported by those assets. When Thompson went outside Saturday morning, the family who lived to the right of the house that exploded, Harrison and Kelly Smith, were in her yard with their son, Levi. Peoples gas crews were on site, and a spokesman said gas was turned off in the affected area while the utility worked with emergency responders at the scene. Residents who need a place to go are being directed to Renton Volunteer Fire Department at 1996 Old Mine Rd.

Since the explosion, Zarroli has struggled with understanding why it happened. Soboslay said the borough is continuing to get calls from residents asking for an inspector to look at properties. Plum has yet to receive any applications for demolition of homes in Rustic Ridge, said David Soboslay, the borough’s interim manager. Many doors will need to be rehung because they are sticking from the house moving.

Gov. Josh Shapiro issued a statement regarding the explosion, saying, in part, the administration and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency will continue to be in contact with local officials. While authorities are still investigating what caused this to happen, George says he smelled what may have been gas before the explosion. "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. Asked about reports of water pressure issues the firefighters faced, he said the first hydrant tapped into was at the bottom of a nearby hill. So when firefighters tried to get water from another hydrant on top of the hill, the water pressure was not what it should have been. Firefighters were going door-to-door, checking outside gas lines and going inside houses.

While firefighting and recovery efforts were still active at the scene, investigators from the Safety Division began gathering preliminary information from residents, responders, and utilities around that location. I&E has the authority to bring enforcement action, seek emergency orders from the Commission or take other steps to enforce safety regulations and promote public safety. 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. PLUM, Pa. (AP) — Five people were found dead after a house explosion in western Pennsylvania that destroyed three structures and damaged at least a dozen others, authorities said Sunday.

Those wells and pipelines were within a 2,500-foot radius of the home. The Department of Environmental Protection announced Friday that its investigators have completed an analysis of preliminary test results from its stray gas investigation. Those results do not indicate a stray gas migration incident. The Andy Zarroli family got the go-ahead Thursday to be able to continue living in their house, although they’re not sure that they will. Immediately after the explosion, Fischer said his neighborhood was flooded with gawkers. Neighbors said the Oravitzes were having issues with their hot water tank — something the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office said it was aware of — and that Thomas, Sebunia and Clontz went over to help troubleshoot.

Investigators determined that it eventually failed after it corroded. This is not the first time a home has exploded in Plum Borough. Just last year in April, a home on Hialeah Drive was leveled. But, Allegheny County is asking people to avoid the area if they have no reason to be there. Neighbors said they smelled gas Tuesday and called the gas company, which confirmed the leaks.

At the municipal center, Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts with Troop 111 were grilling hamburgers and hot dogs for residents and first responders on Sunday. The food came from an event that was canceled Saturday because of the stormy weather, said Jim Plutto, a committee chair with the troop. Food, charging stations and other amenities remain available at the municipal complex on Old Mine Road, borough officials said. “To me, it’s second nature — if someone needs help, people help,” he said. “There’s damage (to his home), but compared to everything else going on, it’s nothing,” he said. Jimmy Stecik was getting things together for a trip to Niagara Falls Saturday morning when he heard the explosion.