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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.
people dead and 1 missing after explosion destroys 3 structures in western Pennsylvania
Lori and I are praying for the families affected by the house explosion in Plum today. ⁰⁰My Administration and @PEMAHQ are coordinating with and supporting county and local emergency responders. My Administration and @PEMAHQ are coordinating with and supporting county and local emergency responders. 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. The cause of the explosion is under investigation by Plum and county law enforcement and the county fire marshal’s office.
Heather and Paul Oravitz
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.
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To this point, there are holds on the three destroyed properties. This means nothing will be done to them, and any demolition would have to be approved by the borough. The Allegheny County Fire Marshal's Office is leading the investigation into the cause and origin of the fire and explosion and the process is expected to take some time. Plum Borough Police Chief Lanny Conley said three other people were taken to the hospital to be treated for injuries.
Kevin Sebunia, 55
Gov. Josh Shapiro said he and the first lady were "praying for the families" affected and promised them that "as you rebuild, we will have your back." The 12-year-old boy was a member of the Plum Mustangs youth football program, and on Wednesday during practice, his No. 40 jersey was placed on the goalpost and his initials covered the 40-yard line. The borough says that the doors will open for healing and reflection where memories can also be shared and celebrated. 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.
PLUM, Pa. (AP) — Investigators said Friday the location of an explosion that killed six people and destroyed three houses near Pittsburgh last month was inside one of the homes, ruling out an outside cause. 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. ESSEX, Md. — 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.
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.
There is also a pipeline that runs behind the housing development, but none of these have been identified as the cause of the blast. The fire marshal is still investigating last year’s house explosion in Plum along Hialeah Drive. The Allegheny County District Attorney told Channel 11 News on Thursday that officials currently consider the deadly explosion in Plum Borough to be accidental. His daughter Emily told us her dad truly had a heart of gold, and that he was the most selfless man and offered a helping hand to everyone.
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.
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. Any determinations and/or actions are based on that information, within the scope of the PUC’s jurisdiction, and any safety concerns identified by investigators are addressed promptly with regulated pipeline operators and/or utilities. While the full investigation by the Safety Division may take up to a year or longer to reach any conclusions, I&E will not hesitate to take immediate action to address health or public safety concerns that are identified.
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: Pennsylvania DEP will investigate - WTAE Pittsburgh
Plum house explosion: Pennsylvania DEP will investigate.
Posted: Sat, 19 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Abandoned mine features are not part of the DEP’s investigation at this time. The homeowners, Heather and Paul Oravitz, were the only members of their family known to be inside at the time of the explosion. Three people were transported to area hospitals, including one who was listed in critical condition and two who were treated and released. More than 20 firefighters were evaluated, many for heat exhaustion, authorities said. The Department of Environmental Protection announced Friday that its investigators have completed an analysis of preliminary test results from its stray gas investigation. The incident occurred in the borough of Plum, in the Pittsburgh metropolitan area.
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.
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.
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.
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