6th victim dies in Pennsylvania house explosion: Officials

Table Of Content

• What we know about the Pennsylvania home explosion that killed 6
• News Spotlight
• House Explosion Under Investigation
• Plum house explosion: 6th person dies; cause of blast remains unknown
• things to do in Pittsburgh: April 26-28
• Allegheny County library card holders can get free admission to over a dozen attractions this summer
• New video shows moment house exploded in Plum Borough

Company technicians will be going door to door to conduct a safety check and relight customers’ appliances, the spokesperson said. Heather Oravitz, 51, community development director for the borough, lived in the house that exploded and was killed, the Plum Borough mayor confirms. Her husband, Paul Oravitz, was in the hospital in critical condition but later died from his injuries, sources tell Channel 11. BALTIMORE - A house explosion rattled a community Saturday night in Essex.

A recent history of house explosions in the Pittsburgh area - CBS Pittsburgh

A recent history of house explosions in the Pittsburgh area.

Posted: Wed, 13 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

What we know about the Pennsylvania home explosion that killed 6

Fifty-seven firefighters were treated on scene for minor issues, including heat-related injuries, Imbarlina said. 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. Multiple houses were completely leveled with debris spilling onto the lawn. “I am in constant communication with Governor Shapiro, who has expressed his unwavering support for the Plum community and for the use of all available investigative measures. At the Governor’s request, an extensive amount of testing has been completed. Over the next few days additional testing will be conducted and shared with the public appropriately,” added Negrin.

News Spotlight

Video: Moment of Pennsylvania home explosion caught on doorbell camera - KCRA Sacramento

Video: Moment of Pennsylvania home explosion caught on doorbell camera.

Posted: Mon, 14 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), Peoples Gas and other entities involved in the response to this incident. “From the moment DEP was called in to investigate, our experts have worked tirelessly alongside county officials and partner agencies to aid in identifying the cause,” said DEP Secretary Rich Negrin. Officials told reporters at the scene they did not know exactly who was at home and who may have had visitors at the time of the explosion, so they could not provide an exact number of people considered missing. Crews from at least 18 fire departments worked to douse the flames with the help of water tankers from Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, Downs said. One of the two pipelines, a suction line to a compressor station, was known to be leaking but was taken out of commission a week before the explosion, the DEP said.

House Explosion Under Investigation

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. State investigators are now searching for stray gas near the site of a home explosion in Plum, Allegheny County on Saturday, Aug. 12 that killed six people. It is unclear what caused the explosion, and the investigation is expected to be "slow and long," officials said. A representative from the gas company said pressure and smell checks done in the area indicate that the "system was operating as designed" at the time of the explosion.

Plum house explosion: 6th person dies; cause of blast remains unknown

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. George Emanuele, who lives three houses down from the home that exploded, said he and a neighbor went to the home after the explosion and dragged a man laying in the backyard away from the scene, he told the Tribune-Review. “There are three structures destroyed and at least a dozen more damaged in some way,” authorities said. Police said at least three people were taken to area hospitals with two in stable condition, both of whom have since been released.

things to do in Pittsburgh: April 26-28

The Safety Division recognizes the strong public interest in these types of incidents, especially for those who have been directly impacted, and works to address safety concerns in a timely matter. Still, it is important to understand that these are complex circumstances which may require extensive analyses by engineers and other experts, along with laboratory testing and other technical study before conclusions can be reached. “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,” Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said, AP reported. The Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating multiple possibilities, including the homeowners having “hot water tank issues,” Plum Borough and Allegheny County officials said in a news release. Two who were taken to the hospital in stable condition have since been released. The DEP evaluated the coal seam near Plum, Pa. and noted no nearby shafts or drill/boreholes in the area of the explosion, concluding the chance of the gas issue coming from an abandoned mine is very low.

Allegheny County library card holders can get free admission to over a dozen attractions this summer

On behalf of the entire school district, I want to express my deepest sympathies and offer support to our school community affected by this tragedy. Fifty-seven firefighters were treated for "minor issues" at the scene and released, Steve Imbarlina, assistant chief of fire/emergency medical services at Allegheny County Emergency Service, told reporters Sunday afternoon. Six people were killed, including a child, in a Pennsylvania house explosion over the weekend that caused multiple injuries, leveled two other homes and damaged at least a dozen residences, according to authorities.

Public utility documents available electronically include case dockets, public meeting orders and more. Keep track of PUC news and activities with press releases delivered straight to your email inbox. If inspectors find sufficient levels of combustible gas, such as methane, soil samples will be taken for later analysis in a laboratory. Governor Josh Shapiro’s administration is working with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) as it conducts its investigation. "The road ahead for the family is and will continue to be long and hard," the post reads.

New video shows moment house exploded in Plum Borough

On Aug. 25, the DEP helped to distribute combustible gas detectors to the 227 houses in Rustic Ridge. The DEP estimated about 90% of the units were picked up for houses in the community, and remaining residents will be contacted by the Rustic Ridge Homeowners Association to collect their detectors if they want them. On-scene investigative efforts also have been completed, the Fire Marshal’s Office said. Joint investigative efforts with agencies including the state’s Department of Environmental Protection and Public Utility Commission, Plum police, Peoples natural gas company and several insurance carriers continue.

Keegan Clontz, 12, was the youngest person killed in the explosion. He was a student in the Plum School District and loved to play football. During times like these, we must lean on one another for comfort and strength. Let us continue to extend a helping hand to the affected families, offering our support, condolences, and assistance in any way possible.

Two of those individuals have been released from the hospital while one remains in critical condition. Paul Oravitz, 56, who had severe burns over most of his body, died Wednesday in a Pittsburgh hospital, four days after the explosion in Plum. According to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner, Paul Oravitz died Wednesday.

The fire marshal said it will continue to work with local officials on further remediation efforts to make the scene safe. Investigators inspected seven conventional oil and gas wells and two gathering pipelines after the explosion and ruled they were all in compliance. Those wells and pipelines were within a 2,500-foot radius of the home. Three homes were destroyed by the blast; 10 homes have been identified as possibly being structurally compromised.

His wife, who is a teacher at Butler Area School District, daughter and their dog were in their home. His wife was able to escape through a window and his daughter was able to run out with the dog. Both were rushed to the hospital, but they’re now physically okay. State officials had previously ruled out natural gas from an abandoned underground mine as a cause. Authorities have also said the home’s owners had been having problems with their hot water tank.

Tribune Live reported that neighbors attending a vigil for the victims on Tuesday described the corner where the house once stood as a "fraternity row" because everyone was friends and always spending time together. Emergency officials suspended operations Saturday night due to weather and concern for the safety of investigators. Crews were expected to resume working at the site on Sunday morning.

PLUM BOROUGH, Pa. — Six people are dead after an explosion on Rustic Ridge Drive in Plum Borough that destroyed three homes and damaged at least a dozen more. Baltimore County fire officials said they were called to the scene in the Essex community east of Baltimore just after 11 p.m. Fire officials say home explosions are not uncommon in the county, and if you smell gas, report it immediately. Crews were expected to be on the scene for "an extended period of time," the department said. Hazmat and fire investigators had been on their way to the scene, officials said. The house on Ridgemoor Road in Essex, Maryland, appeared in photos shared by the department to have been completely destroyed by the blast.