Two firefighters stand on the debris around the smoldering wreckage of the the three houses that exploded in Plum, Pa., on Aug. 12, 2023. Three houses at the center of a recent explosion near Pittsburgh that killed six people will need to be torn down and 10 others are not currently inhabitable, county officials said over the weekend. Samuel Long/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP, file

Samuel Long

Combustible gas detectors have been secured for the Rustic Ridge neighborhood in Plum Borough following an explosion that took the lives of six people, including former Saxonburg borough manager Michael Thomas.

Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Rich Negrin today announced the Friday, Aug. 25 that the detectors will be provided at no cost to residents.

The origin of and cause of the incident in Plum remains undetermined and is under investigation.

Funeral services for Thomas, 57, who was serving as Plum borough manager at the time of his death, were held Wednesday, Aug. 23, at St. Raphael Church in Pittsburgh.

His wife, Jacqueline, who is a teacher at Butler Intermediate High School, was also injured in the Aug. 12 explosion.

Heather Oravitz, Paul Oravitz, Casey Clontz, Keegan Clontz and Kevin Sebunia also died in the explosion, which damaged a number of houses.

According to the Friday news release, Olympus Energy, a Pennsylvania-based company, has donated 250 detectors to the Rustic Ridge homeowners association.

“Our team is incredibly saddened by this horrific tragedy and have been looking for a way to offer support to the residents of Rustic Ridge,” Tim Dugan, president and chief executive officer at Olympus Energy said.

DEP personnel are expected to work with the homeowners association to distribute the detectors to residents of Rustic Ridge, and a team of experts from the department are to provide residents with “guidance for identifying the best location in their homes to install the detectors.”

“It is imperative that as our investigations advance, we continue to do all we can to support this wonderful community,” said Rich Negrin, DEP secretary. “I met with families in Rustic Ridge this week who have concerns about their safety following this incident.

“This is one of a number of efforts by the Shapiro Administration to help provide resources to residents, and we will continue to work alongside our local partners, including Allegheny County, to support the Plum community.”

The DEP’s investigation began Monday, Aug. 14 and is ongoing.