Lawsuit Filed Over Deadly Pittsburgh Explosion That Killed Multiple People

PLUM BOROUGH, PA — Nearly two years after a deadly house explosion that killed six people, survivors have a filed a lawsuit against multiple companies.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court.

Defendants in the lawsuit include Penneco Oil Co. Inc., which built the gas line that allegedly had a gaping hole in it and allegedly helped lead to the explosion; Peoples Gas, which provided natural gas to the property; A.O. Smith Corp., a water heater manufacturer; and Grasinger Homes, the developer of homes in the Rustic Ridge neighborhood.

Killed in the Aug. 12, 2023 blast were borough manager Michael Thomas; borough community development director Heather Oravitz and her husband, Paul; Kevin Sebunia; and Casey and Keegan Clontz. The Oravitzs owned the home that exploded.

Nearly two years after the fatal incident, the Allegheny County Fire Marshal's Office has yet to release a theory on what caused the blast.

"This investigation has been extensive and thorough and there is no time frame for when it will be complete," the fire marshal's office stated last year.

"This process is often rigorous and lengthy as investigators review evidence carefully to ensure they have as much information as possible before issuing any determination."

In a report issued last year the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission stated that there was no evidence of public utility natural gas equipment causing the explosion.

"Following an extensive and exhaustive investigation into this tragedy, the Safety Division found no evidence linking public utility jurisdictional assets to the cause of the deadly house explosion and fire in the Rustic Ridge neighborhood," the report stated.