22-07-2025
Families of Plum house explosion victims file lawsuits citing 4 companies for cause
Two years since the massive explosion that leveled homes in Plum's Rustic Ridge and killed six people, the cause of the tragedy has remained enveloped in mystery.
The Allegheny County Fire Marshal's Office has yet to determine a cause of the blast on Aug. 12, 2023. But on Tuesday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court, the families of those victims filed separate suits, alleging the explosion was the result of a build-up of methane escaping from a ruptured line nearby.
The explosion leveled three homes and claimed the lives of Paul and Heather Oravitz, Casey and Keegan Clontz, Kevin Sebunia, and Michael Thomas. Their families now accuse four different companies — Penneco Oil and Gas, Peoples Natural Gas, the A.O. Smith Corporation and Grasinger Homes — of negligence for failing to foresee the likelihood of an explosion and failing to take action to prevent it.
According to the court papers, pressure began building in a nearby gas line operated by Penneco in the weeks and months leading up to the explosion. The lawsuits allege the gas began escaping through a hole in the line and migrated into the basement of the Oravitz's home at 141 Rustic Ridge Drive.
That day, Casey and Keegan Clontz went to check their water heater, which had been making noises, which the suit claims was the result of gas buildup in the basement. The gas ignited and the house exploded in a massive fireball. It killed the four people in the house and neighbors Sebunia and Thomas, who were nearby.
The lawsuits say prior to the explosion, Penneco and Peoples knew of the excessive pressure in the line but did not vent it or replace a failing regulator. They fault the water heater manufacturer for not warning of the impact of outside gas, and cite Grasinger for building homes so close to gas lines. KDKA has reached out to Penneco, Peoples and Grasigner for comment on the lawsuits and has not received any response.
The families are alleging negligence and seeking damages for pain and suffering.
"There was a chain of events that occurred. At multiple different points along the way, steps could have been taken to have prevented this incident and prevented the deaths of these six people," said Benjamin Baer, who represents Cole and Taylor Oravitz, the son and daughter of Paul and Heather Oravitz.
In reports at noon and 6 p.m., KDKA's Andy Sheehan speaks exclusively with Taylor Oravitz on her family's search for answers and attorneys who investigated the facts and filed this legal action this morning.
