Plum homeowners get help at multi-agency resource center after devastating explosion
PLUM, Pa. (KDKA) -- Local, county and state officials helped Plum residents on Thursday replace important documents and get resources they need after an explosion killed six people and rendered 10 homes uninhabitable.
The eight-hour event at the Plum Borough Municipal Complex Gymnasium on Thursday brought together multiple service providers for a one-stop assistance center. Thirteen families signed up for help, Allegheny County said.
"We all recognize the challenges that exist when important documents are missing, or you need resources to be able to recover from a tragedy such as this one," County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said in a news release. "Our team continues to work with Plum and its residents as they move forward, and we will remain engaged to bring whatever resources we can to make this process easier for those impacted."
Homeowners got help with issues like dealing with missing documents and figuring out insurance with their insurance carrier.
The Shapiro administration also announced on Friday that Pennsylvania-based Olympus Energy donated 250 combustible gas detectors to the neighborhood. The Department of Environmental Protection said that while methane from a utility company is odorized to help homeowners detect it, a combustible gas monitor will detect gas at very low levels and detect sources that aren't odorized.
Meanwhile, the Rustic Ridge Estates HOA said on Friday that it's partnering with the Holy Family Parish and the Salvation Army to help with the incoming monetary donations. The HOA said five separate families lost loved ones and their homes, and 10 other families were displaced, and more could be displaced in the future.
The HOA said checks can be sent or dropped off at St. John's Church on St. John Street with the memo "Rustic Ridge."
"The enormous amount of support shown through this has been incredibly heartwarming. Rustic Ridge is extremely strong, however, all of the help from others allowed us to lean on you for support, so our residents could begin the healing," the HOA said in a statement.
Six people died when a home in Plum's Rustic Ridge community exploded on Aug. 12. The cause is under investigation, but it could take months or even years before there are answers, officials have said.
