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Plum Explosion | TribLIVE.com

Plum Explosion

Six people died as a result of an explosion at a house in the Rustic Ridge neighborhood of Plum on Aug. 12, 2023. The explosion at 141 Rustic Ridge Drive destroyed that home, and a subsequent fire consumed the houses immediately to the right and left. Those who died were: Paul Oravitz and his wife, Heather Oravitz; neighbor Casey Clontz and his son, Keegan Clontz; neighbor and borough Manager Michael Thomas; and neighbor Kevin Sebunia. All were in the home when it exploded.

In all, three houses were destroyed and as many as 12 families were displaced. Ten homes were identified as possibly being structurally compromised. This page is dedicated to coverage of the tragedy.
Top-seeded Plum boys soccer team headed to 1st WPIAL final in 19 years
For years, Plum boys soccer coach Raf Kolankowski has talked about how the soccer gods haven’t shined on his group in the postseason. Well, on Tuesday, the Mustangs went to an “Alter,” and their prayers were answered. Christian Alter scored three minutes into the second half for what proved to...
Investigation into Plum house explosion could take years, officials say 
It could take years to determine a cause of the deadly house explosion in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood, officials said Tuesday. “These can be very, very lengthy investigative processes,” said Matthew Brown, chief of Allegheny County’s Department of Emergency Services. “The key is to actually, definitively, get to what the...
Plum holds solemn vigil for those lost in house explosion a year ago
At 10:23 a.m. Monday, Plum paused to remember those who died in a house explosion in the borough’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood exactly one year ago. Church bells at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church were among those that began chiming at the precise moment Paul and Heather Oravitz’s home exploded...
Plum community to observe Rustic Ridge anniversary 1 year later with no answers
As a Plum community pauses to remember those who died in a fatal house explosion a year ago, questions about the cause remain unresolved, and a mayor is demanding answers. Six residents of the Rustic Ridge neighborhood died as a result of the massive Aug. 12 explosion, which sent shock...
Peoples Gas service lines not responsible for Plum explosion, PUC finds
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission said Tuesday there is no link between Peoples Gas service lines and the August 2023 house explosion in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood that killed six people. “Our investigators have concluded their work and they did not find anything on the utility side that was the...
Golf tournament to benefit 4 families who lost loved ones in Rustic Ridge house explosion
An upcoming golf tournament benefiting the four families who lost loved ones in the Rustic Ridge house explosion in Plum last year is personal for Nick Davis, one of its organizers. Davis, 39, of Monroeville has known Jen Clontz since they were in kindergarten in the Gateway School District. He...
Rustic Ridge family that lost home to explosion awaits completion of new house
As Rick and Beth Napoleon planned their new house in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood, they knew it had to be different. “With every decision, we’re pretty much trying to do the complete opposite of the last house,” Rick Napoleon said. “Every decision is the opposite. We want something new, different...
Helping hands: Donations exceed $875,000 for those affected by Plum house explosion
Rafal Kolankowski and his family have felt the full embrace of the Plum community since August — some of it in the form of bracelets, lemonade and yard signs. The Kolankowskis are among about a dozen families whose homes were destroyed or severely damaged when a nearby house exploded in...
Plum baseball continues winning ways with shutout of Gateway
Plum is starting to hit its stride in Section 1-5A. The Mustangs have won five straight games after a tough section sweep at the hands of Penn-Trafford. Plum took care of Penn Hills twice last week, scored a key nonsection victory over North Allegheny last Friday and finished off a...
Investigators interview man who visited Rustic Ridge home days ahead of fatal explosion
Allegheny County authorities say they identified a man who was seen on the porch of a home in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood days before it exploded last year. The man was not suspected of any wrongdoing, but investigators believed he could have information that might help in the ongoing investigation,...
'Sad, dreadful feelings': Couple's death in house explosion rekindles memories, unanswered questions
When Rick Napoleon heard about a fatal home explosion in Crescent last week, he was overcome by sadness and empathy. The thoughts of destruction and death that he and his neighbors endured seven months ago in Plum’s Rustic Ridge community came flooding back. His home was destroyed when his neighbor’s...
Plum honors Rustic Ridge resident for heroism, elevates interim manager
Plum has honored a man for his heroism in the aftermath of the Rustic Ridge explosion, while also taking a step to help the borough’s government move forward from the August catastrophe that left six dead. Greg Renko, president of the Rustic Ridge homeowners association, received a proclamation honoring him...
Home for the holidays carries different meaning for Rustic Ridge residents this year
Rick Napoleon’s home felt so much bigger before it was gone. A steel beam crossing the width of the foundation was the only thing above Napoleon’s head as he recently stood in what had been the garage and basement of his family’s home of 18 years. The rest of the...
Hydrant system where Plum house exploded not enough to fight fully engulfed house fire, Plum fire chief says 
The fire hydrant system in the Rustic Ridge neighborhood of Plum, where a house explosion killed six people in August, is not adequate for fighting a single fully engulfed house fire, according to a borough fire chief who was on the scene that day. “Due to the fire load, the...
'We're all coming together': Plum teachers revive festival to support Rustic Ridge families
After stopping by the airbrush booth and trying their hand at carnival games, it was time for the Betancourt family and their friends to swing by the food trucks. The group had donned their Halloween costumes to attend the Festival of Honor Sunday at Plum Senior High School. The event...
Old Mine Road in Plum to be renamed Mike Thomas Way in memory of borough manager
A Plum street that leads to the borough building, public works facility, Plum EMS and a fire station will be renamed in memory of a late borough manager. Michael Thomas, 57, was among six people who lost their lives Aug. 12 in a house explosion in the borough’s Rustic Ridge...
Car rally for Rustic Ridge families raises thousands
A large event in support of families of the Rustic Ridge tragedy exceeded expectations Sunday, with thousands of attendees raising at least several thousands of dollars. Rachel Vlosich co-organized a car rally expecting about 300 people to bring their muscle cars and designer vehicles to Plum Senior High School. More...
Wife, daughter of Plum explosion victim Kevin Sebunia speak out about losing an 'amazing man' and the investigation
The wife and daughter of Kevin Sebunia, one of the victims in the fatal Aug. 12 home explosion in Plum, are sharing their story just over a month since the man they say had a “heart of gold” passed away. Kelly Sebunia, Kevin’s wife, and their daughter, Emily Brizee, sat...
Investigators say cause of fatal Plum explosion came from inside the home
The point of origin for a deadly home explosion in Plum on Aug. 12 came from inside the house at 141 Rustic Ridge, the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office said Friday. Officials continue to investigate the explosion that occurred just less than a month ago in Plum’s Rustic Ridge subdivision,...
PUC rules public utility equipment not at fault in 2022 Plum home explosion
A Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission ruling that an April 2022 home explosion in Plum was not caused by public utility equipment does not eliminate the possibility that natural gas caused the explosion. In a statement released Tuesday, the PUC’s safety division found no evidence that public utility natural gas equipment...
Plum fire trucks among vehicles at food truck rally, touch-a-truck event benefiting Rustic Ridge
Three of the Plum fire trucks that responded to the Rustic Ridge house explosion Aug. 12 were out in the community for a different, but related, reason on Saturday. Ladder trucks from the Holiday Park and Unity fire departments and an engine from the Renton company were among the vehicles...
Woman offers gas imaging camera service to Rustic Ridge residents
A certified thermographer said Thursday she hoped to give residents in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood some peace of mind by volunteering to use hydrothermic technology to look for possible gas leaks in homes. Christina Digiulio of Chester County visited Rustic Ridge and offered to use a hydrocarbon imaging camera to...
Rustic Ridge homeowners whose houses were damaged by the house explosion could get tax relief
Plum officials are notifying Rustic Ridge homeowners whose houses were substantially damaged by the house explosion there two weeks ago that they may be eligible for a significant reduction in their property assessment. Plum officials are pointing to those homeowners to a Catastrophic Loss Application that is available from the...
Neighbor near fatal Plum house explosion can get house fixed but mourns loss of friends, wonders about the future
Andy Zarroli might be the first of nearly a dozen homeowners in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood to know his house can be repaired following the fatal house explosion two weeks ago. But while his house can be fixed, he’s not sure if he and his wife can call it home...
Olympus Energy donating 250 gas detectors to Plum's Rustic Ridge neighborhood
A Washington County-based oil and natural gas company is donating 250 methane detectors for homes in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood where six people died from a house explosion Aug. 12. Olympus Energy of Cecil Township gave the detectors to the Rustic Ridge Homeowners Association. Gov. Josh Shapiro and Rich Negrin,...
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Help for Rustic Ridge residents

Plum Borough officials have released an online list of contacts that Rustic Ridge residents to get help for various needs. It also includes Plum School District contacts. Here is the link.

Signs of anxiety and stress in young children

  • Stomach ache
  • Not wanting to go to sleep
  • Changes in eating habits
  • Being more clingy
  • Hair or skin picking, chewing on nails, hair or clothing
  • Having unusual separation anxiety
  • Headaches and/or fatigue
  • More explosive tantrums/behaviors
Source: Blooming Expressions Therapy
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