Columbia gas takes responsibility for North Franklin house explosion
Observer-Reporter
Investigators with Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania work at the scene of the house explosion at 100 Park Lane, Washington, in this file photo from July 31, 2019.
Observer-Reporter
Investigators with Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania work at the scene of a July 31 house explosion in North Franklin Township.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Jodi Braden, sister of homeowner Deborah Braden, retrieves items Thursday at the scene of the house explosion in North Franklin Township.
Celeste Van Kirk/Observer-Reporter
Michael Huwar with Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania answers questions during a press conference Thursday.
The remains of the front door of Deborah Braden's house were found 400 feet away.
Investigators retrieve a purse from the site of the house explosion on Thursday.
Deborah Braden was seen walking near the rubble of her North Franklin home Thursday morning.
“She’s alive,” her relieved sister, Jodi Braden, said.
Not 24 hours previously, the one-story ranch at 100 Park Lane was obliterated in an explosion, leaving debris scattered in nearby trees, yards, other homes and as far as a half-mile away. The explosion at 3:50 p.m. was heard and felt throughout the township, city of Washington and other communities.
No one, including Deborah, suffered life-threatening injuries. Deborah suffered some hearing problems, her sister said, and some minor injuries to her fingers. Jodi said her sister was unable to give a comment Thursday. Two North Franklin firefighters had cuts and abrasions, and a third suffered heat exhaustion. A neighbor experienced chest pains. All five were treated at Washington and Mercy hospitals.
North Franklin Fire Chief Dave Bane said the initial call about an odor linked to a natural gas leak came to emergency dispatchers at 3:40 p.m., 10 minutes before the blast.
Deborah, returning home from work at Community College of Allegheny County in Washington Crown Center, had opened her garage and “man” doors and heard a hissing noise, Bane said.
He and North Franklin Fire Capt. Kris Engel turned off the gas meter connected to the house. Bane radioed to an incoming fire engine that he needed gas detection meters, but “before their arrival, the house did explode.”
He and Engel were walking 30 to 40 feet away from the house when it exploded, while Deborah was closer.
“He was thrown forward,” Bane said of Engel at a news conference late Thursday afternoon. “I regained my balance and the lady that lived there, she came walking up. I turned around and saw, basically, nothing. The captain ended up over the hill in the weeds.”
Although Bane’s hearing was impaired, he was able to locate his line officer by calling out to him and heading toward his response. Engel “had been hit with wood or something,” Bane said.
Bane, reluctant to relinquish command, was coaxed into an ambulance, asking City Fire Chief Gerry Coleman to relieve him.
Before the explosion, Coleman had been listening to North Franklin’s radio traffic about the gas leak investigation and their plan to ventilate the house, he said.
“We heard a very, very large explosion,” Coleman said. “I was preparing myself for the worst. I knew the place exploded.”
Coleman thought he was responding to a scene to dig out friends, people he’s worked with for years, or whatever was left of them.
“As I responded to the scene, in my mind, I thought this was going to be a really, really bad day,” Coleman said.
He felt much better when he arrived and saw them alive.
“Chief Bane was still up, dazed, but still attempting to help the victims and his guys,” Coleman said. “That speaks to his character and passion. It was pretty amazing.”
The North Franklin chief, who has held the post for 11 years, was hospitalized for hearing and vision problems.
“I just have pressure in my ear and I’m hearing real bad,” he said, noting that he was released from the hospital by about 8:30 or 9 p.m.
Coleman said Bane and his son, Steven, the third firefighter injured, returned to the scene that night to help. Coleman said fire and police crews from all over Washington County offered assistance Wednesday.
Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania took full responsibility for the explosion Thursday afternoon during a news conference with gas company President and Chief Operating Officer Mike Huwar.
“Our customers deserve safe and reliable delivery of natural gas to their homes,” Huwar said. “We failed to deliver on our mission in this instance, and we are deeply sorry.”
Huwar said Columbia Gas crews had started “routine modernization work” Tuesday to replace old gas mains in that area. He said as part of the work, each customer’s home connected to the main line needs to have a gas regulator installed.
“This device regulates the pressure level of gas entering the home,” Huwar said.
Because Deborah’s house was on a different street than the rest of the system and sat farther back on Park Lane, the house was overlooked. Crews did not realize it was part of the system and the house didn’t get a pressure regulator, Huwar said.
“Therefore, when the new system was energized, and because the pressure regulator was not added, the elevated pressure led to the leak, which led to the explosion,” Huwar said.
Huwar said the company has suspended all non-emergency work in the township and will be working to improve their survey procedures following this incident.
“We are changing the process to expand the geographic areas that are reviewed in detail before such a project is conducted,” he said. “We need to do better; we understand that.”
Huwar said the company is working with state police, the Public Utility Commission and fire personnel on a continued investigation and to determine if the blast caused any damage to the system. They also are still trying to determine an ignition source.
At Thursday’s late afternoon news conference, North Franklin Supervisor Bob Sabot, on behalf of his board, issued a cease and desist order to Andrew Tubbs, Columbia Gas vice president of external and customer affairs of Pennsylvania and Maryland.
The notice said, “Due to the severe nature of this incident, the township has a serious concern for the health, safety and general welfare of the public at large.”
The notice excludes emergency repairs and “measures specifically approved by the Pennsylvania PUC or relevant authorities.”
Residents will have an opportunity to express their concerns to Columbia Gas officials at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 13 at a meeting to be convened in the fire hall, 565 Sylvan Drive.
Several homes in the area were structurally damaged, with cracks in walls and foundations. Windows of homes along Park Avenue were blown out. The front door of Deborah’s home had been blown all the way to the backyard of a Park Avenue residence.
Huwar said that after the explosion, Columbia Gas shut off service to about 60 customers as a precaution. He said that as of Thursday morning, about half of them had had their service restored.
Insurance agents and structural engineers were in the neighborhood Thursday assessing damage to nearby homes, including one that has allegedly been condemned. Huwar said the gas company had claims agents meeting with homeowners to assess damage and that the company has set up a claims hotline for affected customers at 1-800-445-5846.
“First and foremost, our thoughts and prayers are with the individuals who were injured and impacted by the event, especially the family that lost its home,” Huwar said.
Sabot called for Columbia Gas to bear the entire cost of the cleanup and to reimburse agencies who sent emergency responders.
According to county property records, Deborah had purchased the property in 1996, and the house was built by Habitat for Humanity.
“She did so much of that work herself,” said Washington County Treasurer Francis King, who got to know her when Deborah was an employee of the county’s domestic relations office.
“What a shame just to lose everything, all she had and memorabilia,” King said. “Who knows where it ended up.”
On a Facebook post, Deborah’s friend, Jessica Allison, asked that anyone who may come across any intact objects that might belong to Deborah make contact through the social media site. Allison is also organizing a fundraiser on her friend’s behalf from noon to 6 p.m. Aug. 17 at Edwin Scott Linton American Legion Post 175, 168 Park Ave., Washington. She is seeking volunteers and baskets to be donated for a silent auction.
A GoFundMe account was set up Wednesday evening for Deborah called “Our Dear Friend Debbie Braden.” So far, it’s raised over $4,000.