6th victim dies in Pennsylvania house explosion: Officials

Table Of Content

• Plum House Explosion: What we’ve learned about the 6 victims, the legacies left behind
• Pennsylvania house explosion victims named; county says house had ‘hot water tank issues’
• Home explosion rattles neighborhood in Essex
• Heather Oravitz, 51
• News
• Large fireworks explosion in Southern California injures 17, including 9 LAPD officers
• Several homes damaged

Rafal Kolankowski, who lives a few houses away, told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the explosion broke the windows in his house and knocked him and his wife to the ground. After recovering and checking on his son, he went outside where he said a woman told him another woman had been upstairs and a man was in the basement. The other woman later emerged covered in white ash, but the individual in the basement had not yet exited, he said. On Tuesday, the medical examiner’s office identified the five victims. 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.

Plum House Explosion: What we’ve learned about the 6 victims, the legacies left behind

Of the three people taken to hospitals, two were released while one remained in critical condition, said Steve Imbarlina, deputy director of fire and emergency services for Allegheny County. Fifty-seven firefighters were treated at the scene for minor issues. Our thoughts are with the Plum residents impacted by an explosion and fires in their neighborhood this morning.

Pennsylvania house explosion victims named; county says house had ‘hot water tank issues’

According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the explosion in 2008 was caused after a 2-inch gas line was hit in 2003. 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.

Home explosion rattles neighborhood in Essex

All law enforcement personnel sustained minor injuries and were reported to be in “fair” condition, according to the LAFD. 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. A spokesperson for Peoples Gas said on Wednesday crews will start restoring service, which was shut off to about 50 homes after the explosion. PLUM, Pa. (KDKA) — A sixth person died after a house exploded in Plum borough's Rustic Ridge community exploded. Five adults and one child died as a result of the explosion, Plum Borough Police Chief Lanny Conley confirmed to reporters. 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.

Thomas was the borough manager and Heather Oravitz was the community development director. “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. Paul Oravitz, 56, died in the hospital Wednesday afternoon following the explosion. The fire marshal is still investigating last year’s house explosion in Plum along Hialeah Drive.

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

A recent history of house explosions in the Pittsburgh area.

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

News Spotlight

The blast destroyed three homes and damaged at least a dozen others, officials said. Nearly 60 firefighters were treated for minor medical issues. ESSEX, Md. (AP) — An explosion razed a home in suburban Baltimore, officials said, sending one person to the hospital for injuries and requiring aid from dozens of firefighters to douse the flames.

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. 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.

Plum house explosion investigation: DEP works piece of gas puzzle - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Plum house explosion investigation: DEP works piece of gas puzzle.

Posted: Tue, 22 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

By morning, all that was left of the home was rubble and debris. In Los Angeles on Wednesday, 27-year-old Arturo Cejas III was arrested on suspicion of reckless or malicious possession of a destructive device and was being held on $500,000 bail, police said. Several cars and surrounding buildings sustained varying levels of damage in the explosion, LAFD said.

Several homes damaged

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. Three homes on Rustic Ridge Drive were leveled by the explosion, and about a dozen others were damaged, county officials said at a news conference Saturday night. One man with burn injuries that were considered non-life threatening was taken to the hospital, but it wasn’t immediately clear if the person had been in the house or outside, fire Lt. Twana Allen said Sunday. Two other nearby homes received moderate damage stemming from the fire, which was extinguished by Sunday morning and still under investigation, Allen said. Five people, four adults and one child, died in a massive house explosion in Plum on Saturday, borough police Chief Lanny Conley said at a news conference Sunday. Six people were killed and several others injured in a house explosion Saturday in Plum, a suburb of Pittsburgh.

Fire crews advise those driving in the area be extra cautious of traffic lights that might be out. Sacramento Regional Transit says those who rely on Light Rail going into or out of Downtown should find an alternate routes and the trains will not be traveling in the area for the time being. LAPD declared a citywide tactical alert following the explosion, Officer William Cooper said. A tactical alert is utilized to ensure resources are available for other calls for service while many resources are dedicated to a particular incident, Cooper explained. The chief also said that the LAPD is pursuing an investigation into who provided the cache of fireworks to Cejas and how they were transported to the neighborhood.

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. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, the office said, and there is no time frame for when the probe will be completed. The investigation at the scene of the explosion has been completed and the property is being returned to its owners, the agency said in a release. The Allegheny County fire marshal’s office said all potential outside factors were eliminated, including wells, pipelines and other utilities, pinpointing the source as a home on Rustic Ridge Drive in Plum Borough. The man's family said he is being treated for burns to his torso and arms following the suspected gas-related blast, reported KFSN.