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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.
PHOTOS: House explosion in Plum Borough
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.
Sixth person dies from injuries suffered in Pennsylvania house explosion
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.
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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.
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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.
Fatal Plum house explosion originated inside, fire marshal says - CBS Pittsburgh
Fatal Plum house explosion originated inside, fire marshal says.
Posted: Fri, 08 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
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.
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.
House fire, explosion injures 1 in Maryland, fire department says
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.
reported dead, including teen, after house explosion in Pennsylvania
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.
Officials have said one was found outside a garage, four were in the basement and the sixth was located and rescued from the rear yard. He was taken to a trauma center where he died several days later. That house and two others were so badly damaged they must be demolished, and 10 others were not safe for residents in the weeks after the Aug. 12 blast about 20 miles (32 kilometers) east of Pittsburgh. Baltimore Gas and Electric, hazardous materials and fire investigators were at the scene. Officials say they have heard from several neighbors that there was a foul smell in the area Saturday.
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.
"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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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