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Any resident who has questions about gas service in the neighborhood can find updates here. Following the explosion, utilities were shut off due to safety concerns, but electricity has been restored to all but the immediate area surrounding the blast. Chief Conley said that 57 firefighters were treated at the scene for minor injuries. The blast sent shockwaves through the area, with nearby windows and doors blown off when the home along Rustic Ridge Drive exploded. It didn't take long before the two homes on both sides also caught fire. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Officer identified the first five victims as 38-year-old Casey Clontz, 12-year-old Keegan Clontz, 51-year-old Heather Oravitz, 55-year-old Kevin Sebunia and 57-year-old Michael Thomas.
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Together, we can create an environment of compassion and unity that will help us heal. Video given to Channel 11 shows the moment a house exploded in Plum Borough. My son was just there a couple of days before playing with Keegan so it’s heartbreaking,” said Brock Harrison, Carl’s Tavern manager. Five people were recovered from the scene, including one child, after the explosion. 57 firefighters were treated at the scene due to “minor issues.” They were treated at the scene and then went back to work.
State & Local Officials Respond
"There's people that burn a fire and little fire pits, maybe something caught on fire, but not an entire house," said neighbor Logan Lambert. While at the scene, a male reported having burn injuries and was taken to the hospital for further treatment. Upon their arrival, crews found the home engulfed in flames and requested a 2nd-alarm alert to be sent out.
victims identified
One house appears to have exploded, with two others becoming engulfed in flames, according to Allegheny County spokesperson Amie Downs. Peoples Natural Gas said Saturday night on its website that it shut off gas service to about 50 homes in the area as a precaution. He said that gas and electrical services were shut off to most of the area Saturday "out of an abundance of caution" and that officials planned to work to restore some of the services. The cause of the explosion is under investigation by the county fire marshal's office along with borough and county law enforcement. Imbarlina warned that the investigation would be a "slow and long process" that would include a lot of forensic testing and could last "months if not years." The police responded to a report of a house explosion around 10 a.m.
h person dies in Pennsylvania house explosion; victims named, blast under investigation
"In the meantime, we are bringing all of our resources to bear to help the Allegheny County fire marshal," Peoples Gas President Mike Huwar said. Allegheny County officials say that the investigation could take months or even years. Both were rushed to the hospital, but they’re now physically OK. The cause and manner of the victims’ deaths are still pending, and there is no time frame for when those determinations will be made. Casey Clontz, 38, Keegan Clontz, 12, Heather Oravitz, 51, Kevin Sebunia, 55, and Michael Thomas, 57, all died Saturday. Walsh also encourages parents to utilize grief resources and other handouts the district has on its Parents Resources webpage.
people dead and 1 missing after explosion destroys 3 structures in western Pennsylvania
Investigators pinpoint house as source of explosion that killed 6 near Pittsburgh last month - The Associated Press
Investigators pinpoint house as source of explosion that killed 6 near Pittsburgh last month.
Posted: Fri, 08 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Downs said officials don't expect to have information about the cause of the explosion "for quite some time." Gas and electric service was shut off as a precaution, and officials said Sunday a plan was in place to begin restoring service with electric power expected to be returned to all but a few residences, officials said. "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. “Keegan and Casey will be missed by so many and will continue to be loved by so many, including their family, friends and community,” the family said in a statement to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
The other pipeline, a gathering line that ties into the suction line, was taken out of service immediately after the explosion “out of an abundance of caution.” On Aug. 15, that gathering line passed a pressure test with no leaks detected. The DEP said inspectors found detectible concentrations of combustible gas throughout the Rustic Ridge area on Aug. 14, but the gas is no longer detectible in soil near the incident. Isotopic samples, which help to identify molecular signatures, were collected Aug. 14 by the DEP and Peoples from soil and a nearby Peoples meter. The borough of Plum urged people to stay away from Rustic Ridge in the immediate aftermath of the explosion. Three structures have been destroyed and at least a dozen more are damaged, including with windows blown out.
House explosion victims identified
The cause of the explosion is under investigation by Plum and county law enforcement agencies and the county fire marshal’s office. The state Public Utility Commission and local utilities also were at the scene. PLUM, Pa. — 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. 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. Our thoughts are with the Plum residents impacted by an explosion and fires in their neighborhood this morning. Our emergency services team are on scene along with our fire marshals.
6th victim dies in Pennsylvania house explosion: Officials - ABC News
6th victim dies in Pennsylvania house explosion: Officials.
Posted: Wed, 16 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
New video shows moment house exploded in Plum Borough
Three people were taken to area hospitals, including one who was in critical condition and two who were treated and released. 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. Neighbors said they smelled gas Tuesday and called the gas company, which confirmed the leaks. One leak was along Kathy Lynn Drive and the other was at Crestview and Mower drives. The Regency Park and Rustic Ridge neighborhoods are about a 10-minute drive apart.
In addition to those resources, the Plum Senior High School is open Monday and Tuesday, offering support services for students, staff, and community members. A spokesperson for Peoples Gas said on Wednesday crews will start restoring service, which was shut off to about 50 homes after the explosion. 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. “They cared about the community and everybody in it, including the kids, including the people. Big time,” Lucas said when speaking of his friend Paul and Paul’s wife Heather. The Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s office has confirmed the house that exploded had hot water tank issues.
We spoke with him as he approached the site for the first time Sunday morning. Officials said the effort to resume utility operations to the borough was underway, though electricity coverage for houses neighboring the explosion site would remain without power. Engineers from the Safety Division are in the field daily, conducting inspections of utility construction, operations, and integrity management activities. They also investigate issues discovered during their inspections, along with incidents reported by utility operators and emergency response agencies.
The third person remained in critical condition as of Saturday night. Bishop David Zubik hosted a prayer service for the community on Tuesday at Saint John the Baptist Church in Plum. Now technicians will go door to door to conduct a safety check and relight appliances.
Among those killed were a proud father who gave his daughter away at her wedding last month, a super involved hockey mom and dad who never missed a game, and a 12-year-old boy described as a "1,000% momma's boy." “The findings suggest that concentrations of gas detected on Aug. 14 came from (a) single inundation event, likely the explosion itself,” the DEP’s statement said. Gas samples were collected for isotopic analysis from five of those locations, including the area around a leaking gas pipeline, gas in the soil near a Peoples meter and under the foundation of the home. The home at 141 Rustic Ridge was owned by Paul and Heather Oravitz, and all six victims were inside that home when it exploded. Officials continue to investigate the explosion that occurred just less than a month ago in Plum’s Rustic Ridge subdivision, the Fire Marshal’s Office said.
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