Home explosion that killed 2 people linked to propane system, fire officials say

A propane system is believed to be the source of a massive explosion that killed two people and destroyed a home in the Pittsburgh area near the Ohio River earlier this year, authorities said.

A spokesman for the Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s office told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the investigation into the March 12 explosion in Crescent Township has been closed and “will remain undetermined,” but “the source of the explosion is related to private propane. system.”

The Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission’s safety division said Tuesday it has concluded its investigation and found no evidence linking the explosion to natural gas service under the utility’s jurisdiction. The residence did not have public natural gas service, and while Columbia Gas has natural gas lines in the general area, there were no gas lines in the immediate vicinity and no gas leaks were found, the commission said.

The commission noted, however, that “although there was no public natural gas service connected to the home, a private natural gas well and a propane tank were located on the property – both of which are outside the PUC’s jurisdiction.”

Aerial images from the scene in Crescent Township, in northwest suburban Pittsburgh, showed smoking ruins with the structure reduced to rubble and several large pieces lodged in trees above. Chief Andrew Tomer of the Crescent Township Fire Department said the explosion was “severe, absolutely extreme – … you could feel it in your chest.” The owners, David Mitchell, 89, and Helen Mitchell, 87, were killed.

In August 2023, an explosion in the Plum neighborhood, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) away in the same county, killed six people and destroyed three houses. Authorities said the cause was under investigation, but the explosion occurred inside one of the homes, ruling out an outside cause, including wells, pipes and other utilities.

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