Plum To Rename Road After Borough Manager Killed In Explosion

PLUM BOROUGH, PA — The late borough manager Michael Thomas, one of six victims in a deadly August house explosion, will be memorialized with a road bearing his name.

Borough council on Wednesday voted unanimously to rename Old Mine Road - which is where the borough building is located - Mike Thomas Way. Plum now will seek Allegheny County approval to officially make the change, WTAE-TV reported.

Thomas, 57, was in the Rustic Ridge Drive residence that suddenly exploded on Aug. 12. The home was owned by Heather Oravitz, 51, the borough community development director, and her husband, Paul, 56; both also died.

Also killed in the explosion were Casey Clontz, 38, and his son, Keegan, 12; and Kevin Sebunia, 55.

The exact cause of the blast remains under investigation, but the Allegheny County Fire Marshal's Office has determined that the point of origin was the home itself.

That determination came after all potential outside factors such as wells, pipeline, ground gas propagation and other utilities were inspected and tested at several levels by each of the various agencies and companies investigating the explosion.