Target: Randy Padfield, Acting Director of Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency
Goal: Assess and mitigate potential underground hazards in community hit by multiple house explosions.
A video doorbell caught a sudden home explosion that rocked a Pennsylvania town. Two neighboring houses were also engulfed in flames. Tragically, the chaotic scene ultimately concluded with multiple injuries and six deaths, including a young boy.
The investigation into the cause of this tragedy may take years, according to officials. Initial statements have emphasized a potential hot water heater problem. Residents of the sleepy Pittsburgh borough of Plum, however, have deeper concerns. The region has been rattled by two other house explosions in the past few years alone, with six such explosions in total. At least one of these blasts, which killed a man and injured a four-year-old child, has apparently been linked to corroded underground gas lines. The neighborhood where the latest explosion took place is also enveloped by gas and oil wells, in addition to being built over an abandoned mine.
Community members deserve to know whether they are living on top of a ticking time bomb…not years from now but right now. Sign the petition below to demand swift actions and accountability in this disturbing case.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Director Padfield,
“I’ve been to six house explosions in Plum, and this is the worst I’ve seen in 47 years or 48 years, the worst one, just the amount of damage.” The local fire chief provided this blunt description of the absolute havoc wrought on Plum’s Rustic Ridge Drive following a deadly home explosion. Perhaps the most rattling part of this statement is the number six. That such a dramatic event has happened not once, not twice, but six times—three instances separated by only a few years—is noteworthy and disturbing. And in a tragic bit of irony, this latest catastrophe stole six lives.
Authorities have claimed no link between the surrounding gas and oil wells and mine while in the same breath stressing that identifying a root cause may be years away. The residents of this borough should not have to wait another day worrying if their lives are in danger. Gas lines were reportedly shut off as a precaution in the aftermath, so this potential risk was obviously an area of concern.
Please launch a full evaluation of this possibly hazardous underground region and take necessary steps to ensure all residents are safe.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Pixabay
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